The Conservative MP for Wiltshire, Claire Perry, has demanded that broadband ISPs in the UK be "required" to restrict universal access to pornographic content by implementing an opt-in system that requires verification that a user is over 18 for access to such material.
The move follows a recent study, which reported that one in three children aged 10 have viewed pornography on the internet, while four in every five children aged 14 to 16 admitted to regularly accessing explicit photographs and footage on their home computers.
However Perry's proposal somewhat ignores the fact that a number of ISPs already offer Parental Control features and most Mobile Broadband providers impose a similar restriction by default, which requires Credit Card Verification to disable. Another alternative is for parents to move computers into an area of their home where children can be supervised.
Likewise there are plenty of free and commercial solutions available to help resolve this problem, which normally only take a quick Google search to uncover. The more technically minded parent can also swap their ISPs DNS servers for OpenDNS and enable parental controls.
Unfortunately it is impossible to completely censor internet content away from the prying eyes of children. There are more ways of easily circumventing such blocks, which only provide an illusion of control, than there are methods of blocking in the first place. ISP controls, which should still be offered, are ultimately no substitute for good parenting.
The move follows a recent study, which reported that one in three children aged 10 have viewed pornography on the internet, while four in every five children aged 14 to 16 admitted to regularly accessing explicit photographs and footage on their home computers.
Claire Perry said:
"As a mother with three children I know how difficult it is to keep children from seeing inappropriate material on the Internet. We already successfully regulate British TV channels, cinema screens, high street hoardings and newsagent shelves to stop children seeing inappropriate images and mobile phone companies are able to restrict access to adult material so why should the Internet be any different? British Internet Service Providers should share the responsibility to keep our children safe so I am calling for ISP's to offer an "Opt In" system that uses age verification to access pornographic material."
"As a mother with three children I know how difficult it is to keep children from seeing inappropriate material on the Internet. We already successfully regulate British TV channels, cinema screens, high street hoardings and newsagent shelves to stop children seeing inappropriate images and mobile phone companies are able to restrict access to adult material so why should the Internet be any different? British Internet Service Providers should share the responsibility to keep our children safe so I am calling for ISP's to offer an "Opt In" system that uses age verification to access pornographic material."
However Perry's proposal somewhat ignores the fact that a number of ISPs already offer Parental Control features and most Mobile Broadband providers impose a similar restriction by default, which requires Credit Card Verification to disable. Another alternative is for parents to move computers into an area of their home where children can be supervised.
Likewise there are plenty of free and commercial solutions available to help resolve this problem, which normally only take a quick Google search to uncover. The more technically minded parent can also swap their ISPs DNS servers for OpenDNS and enable parental controls.
Unfortunately it is impossible to completely censor internet content away from the prying eyes of children. There are more ways of easily circumventing such blocks, which only provide an illusion of control, than there are methods of blocking in the first place. ISP controls, which should still be offered, are ultimately no substitute for good parenting.
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Comments: 11
Matt SharpePosted: 26 November, 2010 - 11:10 AM
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Impossible to implement.
Besides, parents should take responsibility for what their children are doing.
Fail.
StuartPosted: 26 November, 2010 - 11:48 AM
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Sadly Matt is right, the MP needs to go back to Government and say we need to do Internet 101 to actually learn, if I was not mistaken the amount of stuff coming from the Torys lately are showing signs of "Nanny State"
Re ISP's i.e. o2 mobile, they only use key word blocks, not all sites have keywords i.e. google videos for example. So the option surgested will only inconvenance the public more.
Also is not the ISP account holder required to be 18+ as to have an account it should be down to them to police the parents as it is they try to get " Nanny " to do it all, sorry but the UK is turning in to a dictatorship if the government have no idea what there doing they should call an election thats probably in everyones best intrests as Government are coming out with some stupid ideas of late and need to be reminded they serve the people not police them.
PetePosted: 26 November, 2010 - 4:35 PM
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The internet is an INTERnational communications NETwork, not a national broadcast network.
You cannot, therefore, give children unsupervised access to it under any circumstances. In the same way that a responsible parent would not allow children uncontrolled access to a telephone in their bedroom, or the ability to send email to strangers, or the ability to exchange postal correspondence with random foreigners.
And censorship will never protect children from grooming.
The only effective solution is adult education, and careful parental supervision. If you're not prepared to supervise your children, don't give them access to a communications network where people you like (or dislike) might attempt to communicate with them.
StuartPosted: 26 November, 2010 - 5:27 PM
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Just a side note, re age verification using a credit card, its not uncomon for children to actually know there parents card details and is a wide spread problem in some online industry's name one it is known to happen in the hosting industry, the so called kiddie hosts. Just one of many examples, so parent's really need to watch what there doing with there kid's the idea is good but not fool proof.
timelessPosted: 26 November, 2010 - 9:51 PM
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the only reason this is a problem is because parents treat the internet as a daycare service and let their kids have their computers in their room where they cant keep an eye on their usage!!
RichardPosted: 28 November, 2010 - 8:51 AM
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Spot on timeless.
Also many parents don't think twice about allowing their kids on game consoles where they play games which are far too violent, and let them watch tv / dvds with similar content.
It should be down to parental responsibility and not governmental control.
JackiePosted: 6 December, 2010 - 1:12 AM
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Good point Pete:
The internet is an INTERnational communications NETwork, not a national broadcast network.
Cyberbullying and grooming does not exist on TV so the two mediums are very different so need different ways to be managed.
Parents need to make it their business to know what their kids are doing in their online life. Whether they are falling victim (and many times not knowing this) or even if they are the perpetrator.
Thats why a group of parents have come together and created an online tool for parents to combat this called 8snaps.com.
It helps parents and schools deal with these issues by gaining visibility into their childrens online life. The service is currently free - I invite you to take a look and help us spread the word to make the world a safer place for children to grow.
RickPosted: 19 December, 2010 - 2:16 PM
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I've viewed porn since I was 8-9 (now 20) and it hasn't done me any harm.
PeterPosted: 20 December, 2010 - 10:24 PM
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This would be:
1) Voluntary - so does not restrict freedom of expression or access at all for those who want it.
2) Technologically Feasible - ISPs must already filter out child porn using filters like BT's Cleanfeed system. This would just be an extension of that which can be opted out of by the user.
3)Better Parental Control - allows us the option of stopping the stuff getting into our homes with one easy system rather than having to manage individual PCs around the house.
4) Safer - probably safer than individual PC filters, all of which can be worked around by anyone with some technical knowledge - which most kids have more of than their parents.
So, ISP level filtering is achievable, voluntary, safer. What is to object about?
O2 You 2Posted: 2 March, 2011 - 11:09 PM
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So how many times does one need to verify? It seems to me that once my account is verfied, any with access to the machine can use it the defeating the main perpose. We know were are all on hard times and looking for extra cash, so why are O2 charging my credit card £1 and then credit my phone bill for £2.50. So who is going to pay the £1 on my credit card 'Gordon efin Brown'. So i guess that's the last time they will take money from my bank account.
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