BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media are to force their customers to choose whether to turn on parental controls when they set up their broadband connection
BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media plan to force their customers to think about setting parental controls on their broadband connections, in a move aimed at protecting children online.
TalkTalk, BT, Sky and Virgin Media are to remind people they have the option of using parental controls when they set up their broadband connections.Photo credit: Flickr
On Tuesday, the ISPs said they have come up with a code of practice to help their customers learn about how parental controls work and how they can be used to block websites, such as porn sites, that are unsuitable for children. As part of this, new broadband customers are now being made to choose whether or
not to activate the feature when they first set up their
connection.
"The ISPs have committed to improve the way they communicate to
customers, enabling parents to make simple and well-informed choices
about installing and activating parental controls and other measures
to protect children online," BT said in a statement. "The four ISPs are working with
parents' groups and children's charities on this important initiative
and will continue to do so."
The providers have worked closely with the
government and "a range of stakeholders" to bring in the new measures, according to BT. The measures are a response to the Bailey Report, compiled by
Mothers Union chief Reg Bailey, which contains recommendations on
preventing the early sexualisation of children.
No automatic site-blocking
Despite reports to the contrary, the code of practice does not mean
the ISPs are automatically blocking pornographic sites, and customers who wish to see such content do not have to ask their provider for permission to do so.
The blocking feature is not new. All four
ISPs already offered the controls, and some of their users already have the feature turned on. The only change is that customers can no longer sidestep the activation decision. BT said it plans to remind existing customers that they can activate the parental controls if they wish.
The ISPs have committed to improve the way they communicate to customers, enabling parents to make simple and well-informed choices about installing and activating parental controls.
– BT
In the cases of BT, Sky and Virgin Media, the parental control
software is PC-based rather than network-based, and comes on the CD
new customers need to set up their connection.
HomeSafe has blocked "one
million websites" since its introduction
in May, TalkTalk said in a statement, adding it hopes to see other ISPs follow its lead with network-level measures.
However, a spokesman for BT said the company is "not convinced these
screen material as effectively as PC-based controls, at this time".
"They could prove irritating and end up being unused, because they
are inflexible and do not offer the versatility of PC-based controls," the spokesman told ZDNet UK.
On the wider move, he added that putting the decision to activate
parental controls front and centre is "not intended to be a sop to
government in a bid to prevent greater restrictions".
ParentPort site
Separately on Tuesday, the UK's media regulators launched ParentPort, an online complaint centre where people can raise concerns about inappropriate content across the whole of British media, including advertising, TV shows and newspaper articles.
The site was jointly
developed by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Authority
for Television On Demand, the BBC Trust, the British Board of
Film Classification, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the
Press Complaints Commission and the Video Standards Council/Pan-European Game Information.
"Seven UK media regulators have come together to develop a single
website, with a single aim — to help protect children from
inappropriate material," Ofcom chief Ed Richards said in a statement.
"Each regulator shares this common purpose and is committed to helping
parents make their views and concerns known."
"We have already tested
the website with parents and the feedback has been positive," Richards added. "We will
keep listening to parents and intend to develop the site in light of
further feedback."
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