Last
week Sky Broadband became the first major ISP to announce that it would block
adult content as a default unless users opt in to access it. Designed to
filter out content deemed to be unsuitable for children aged under 13, Sky's
Broadband Shield has been offered as default to new customers for a year but
this will now be rolled out to all 5.3 million existing customers.
Most
of the UK’s
ISPs all offer filtering software for parents concerned about the potentially
harmful material their children may be able to access online, but few have
offered this as a default.
Sky's
brand director, explained the change: "What we're doing now is simply
making sure that the automatic position of Sky Broadband Shield is the safest
one for all - that's 'on', unless customers choose otherwise.”
Starting
this week, the company will email its customers about the blocker. If
households ignore the email, and a subsequent reminder, pornography and other
websites considered to be harmful to children will be blocked automatically.
Sky’s brand director said: “It’s better for people to make their own
choice, but until they do, we believe this process will be the safest one.”
It
is to be hoped that Sky’s brave move will put pressure on other major internet
providers such as BT – which has twice as many broadband customers as Sky – and
Virgin Media to adopt the same ‘family-friendly’ approach.
Anti-censorship
groups have been quick to voice their opposition to the move and their
assertions that filters do not block all unsavoury material are correct.
Filters can never be a substitute for monitoring children’s internet use and
talking about other dangers beyond content, however they are a vital tool for
parents and an important first line of defence. As such Sky’s decision is
to be applauded and, we hope, emulated across the industry.
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