UK to implement compulsory porn filters for households with children

Beginning in February, ISPs will have to show the government their plans for implementing a compulsory survey to those setting up their internet connection. In that questionnaire, if the bill payer says there are children in the house, they will be prompted to setup filters for pornography. If they try and quickly skip through it, the filters will be automatically enabled.

Taking to everyone's favourite sensationalist rag, British PM David Cameron commented in the Daily Mail today that “A silent attack on innocence is underway in our country today, and I am determined that we fight it with all we've got.” Of course instead of merely championing the fact that its point of view was being listened to, the Mail actually claimed it was solely responsible for this turnabout, by claiming “Victory” in another story abut the same subject.

Fortunately for the rest of the world that doesn't think it revolves around children, cooler heads have prevailed. Earlier this week ministers blocked an idea to have the filter's turned on automatically. Cameron is still keen however to have some form of compulsory filtering and has appointed Conservative MP Claire Perry to take the helm and make sure it gets implemented some how.

KitGuru Says: Whether you agree with the filtering or not, it is genuinly worrying how often politicians seem to pander to rags like the Daily Mail. On top of that though, the pride the paper takes in its sensationalist headlines influencing political policy is staggering. You aren't supposed to scare people into changing the world we live in. When did that become the goal of a newspaper?

Just because some parents don't know enough about computers  – which is their own fault in near 2013 – to implement filters for their children, the rest of the country shouldn't have to suffer. Does a couple with a new born baby need to have a porn filter in-case the toddler finds its way to Xtube?

[arstecnica]

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