MPs call for better porn blocks

[hamba]

MPs call for better porn filters to protect children

A cross-party parliamentary inquiry into how safe children are online has concluded the government and internet service providers need to do more.

MPs want to see tighter filters to prevent children seeing unsuitable content online


It found that children were easily accessing pornography and websites showing extreme violence.

The inquiry (PDF) called on the government to back moves for stronger filters of adult content.

The MPs also recommended that the government appoint an internet safety tsar.

The inquiry said that internet service providers (ISPs) and the government should work together to draw up guidelines to make it clearer to parents what safety settings were available on their home computers and other internet-enabled devices.

'Hugely worrying'


Other recommendations included:

• A government review of an opt-in filter to access adult material on the internet
• Accelerated implementation of content-filtering system Active Choice for new internet customers
• ISPs to roll out within 12 months network filters that provide one-click filtering for all devices connected to the same internet account
• Public wi-fi networks to have a default adult-content bar

Conservative MP and chairwoman of the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry on Online Child Protection Claire Perry said: "Our inquiry found that many children are easily accessing internet pornography as well as websites showing extreme violence or promoting self-harm and anorexia. This is hugely worrying.

"While parents should be responsible for their children's online safety, in practice people find it difficult to put content filters on the plethora of internet-enabled devices in their homes, plus families lack the right information and education on internet safety," she added.

ISPs must take more responsibility, both in providing internet safety education and appropriate filters, she said.

"It's time that Britain's internet service providers, who make more than £3bn a year from selling internet access services, took on more of the responsibility to keep children safe, and the government needs to send a strong message that this is what we all expect," she said.

All the big four UK ISPs, BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin, have agreed to offer all new subscribers the option to install parental controls.

BT has been offering the system - known as Active Choice - to new customers since January and told the BBC it had also written to existing customers reminding them that parental control software is free.

TalkTalk is the only major UK ISP to have implemented a network level filtering system which offers parental controls for all devices that are connected via the home broadband service.

BT is looking into such a system but said that there are "some privacy issues" with this type of network monitoring.
It is also against introducing an opt-in system for viewing adult content.

"We think Active Choice amounts to the same thing. It is not for ISPs to be making these kind of judgements," said a spokesman.
Jim Killock, director of the Open Rights Group, described the proposals as "appalling".

"Default filtering is a form of censorship. Adults should not have to 'opt out' of censorship. Governments should not be given powers to default censor legal material that adults see online," he said.

Social monitoring

Increasingly security firms are offering packages that allow parents to monitor what their children are doing on social networks.

Zonealarm's Socialguard, for instance, analyses accounts and alerts parents if it detects a problem.

Security firm Bullguard offers a package which allows parents to monitor their child's smartphone activity via a web-based system.
It give details of text messages and photos and can also tell parents where their child is at any given time.



18 April 2012 Last updated at 12:47
BBC © 2012
BBC News - MPs call for better porn filters to protect children

 

[Him Her]

So the Internet gets censored because parents can't deal with it? Is it someone else's responsibility?

Okay, got it, parents are muppets...

 

[little_pob]

I've got the news forum in my subscribed forum list in UserCP. Must say looked like a much better story

 

[Exos]

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On a serious note, my daughter's PC/laptop etc up until she was about 14 (from the age of 5) had some form of filtering software for messenger and web...

It's just about parents being knowledgable and responsible, but most people they see a PC as a commodity and that is all. I'm sorry but if you can't be bothered to learn about something for the sake of the safety and protection of your kids, then your an idiot and your a bigger idiot if you think the ISP's should be covering your inadequecies.

 

[Arthur Daley]

Okay, got it, parents are muppets...

Some parents are "muppets" as you put it, in regards to all things PC related. Does that mean that they should not be provided a means to assist them protect their children from inappropriate websites?

Some people are "muppets" in regards to all things electrical or plumbing...does that mean they are to go through life never experiencing the joys of an electric shower or an outside tap? :arrrr:

It always pays to try to put yourself in the shoes of those less fortunate than yourself, however disgusting that concept might sound to you, in order to come up with suitable solutions, is it not?

Problem...parents don't know how to stop their children from accessing inappropriate websites whilst they "use" the internet :FLASHER:

Solutions...ask someone to do it for them (much as you would ask an electrician or plumber to fit afore mentioned devices out of the reach or knowledge of afore mentioned other "muppets").

Continue to let children "use" the internet whilst you look over their shoulder whenever you pass then to use the loo or make another cup of tea.

Continue to let children "use" the internet without any supervision at all because its too embarrassing to seek help.

Don't let the children "use" the internet at all, thus denying them access to the biggest god damn fountain of knowledge in the known universe :NoNo: with the possible exception of that book with the words "Don't Panic" inscribed on it in large, friendly letters on the cover.

Tell parents about easyish ways of enabling some sort of parental controls...OpenDNS - Parental Controls

Get their ISP's to contact the customers, or provide a telephone helpline for the customer to ring them on, that will take all the hassle out of the process for them. This will enable all parents who are "muppets" about all things PC related to concentrate on more meaningful things to do with their spare time...like find out why they can no longer log on to Facebook :roflmao:

 

[Exos]

Arthur, I think your viewpoint is a little scewed and the context in terms of using electrics or plumbing is incorrect.

If you wan't to use that analogy are you also saying that parents don't know how to use sockets and switches? or indeed cook a meal because they can't operate the gas or in fact use it so as to not cause you to burn yourself or leave it on so it leaks out into your house.

I'm sorry but its a parents problem and its a parents responsibility to do something about it, not the government or ISP's. Yes they can offer "assistance" just in the same way I could let you know what on and off is on a light switch but it doesnt detract away from a parent's responsibility.

I will say it again; owning a PC comes with a certain set of expectations, its not a microwave it isn't a commodity. You buy one, you LEARN about it until you are sufficiently proficient to use it; you wouldn't drive a car without learning about how to first.

I'm sure alot of parents know how to use the internet, and I would be surprised that most of them didn't know how to search; or indeed enter three words "internet, kids, protection"; but I don't know maybe we have to get the government and ISP's to tell them how to use <insert search engine of choice here> too.

As much as I have a cetain amount of distain of some of himher's posts i have to agree; parents that own a pc and don't learn or know or rather dont show the initiative to do so....are muppets.

 

[Arthur Daley]

Arthur, I think your viewpoint is a little scewed and the context in terms of using electrics or plumbing is incorrect.

If you wan't to use that analogy are you also saying that parents don't know how to use sockets and switches? or indeed cook a meal because they can't operate the gas or in fact use it so as to not cause you to burn yourself or leave it on so it leaks out into your house.

Hello Exos, I believe that my analogy is closer than that of yours. Why? Because it deals with, what can be for some, the relatively complicated/technical aspect of owning a PC.

If you think my analogy is comparable to people using sockets and switches then I cannot agree. We, as a species, are taught by our respective parents/guardians, from a very early age how to turn a light switch on and off. It is for want of a better term...child's play. All bar the physically incapable or vertically challenged will grasp the process...technically minded or not. There are a finite, very finite, amount of combinations of using a light switch. Yes?

I am concerned with the things that ordinary people are not told about, in general. The more technical aspects of PC ownership. Not whether they can simply use the On/Off button, but can configure it in the same way an electrician might add recessed ceiling lights, electric shower, new consumer unit, etc..

Also, you know as well as I do that many people, even teenagers, don't show any inclination or interest in learning anything remotely technical. From a personal experience I can say without hesitation that I have had to personally travel to several friends homes to update their Starview cable boxes because they are incapable of downloading a small file I sent to them and placing it on a usb memory stick in order to save me the hassle. These same people have worked on Power Stations all over Europe and the Middle East, are Civil Servants, work at Asda, work for the NHS in recruitment...Yes they are divvies when it comes to PC's but they are not irresponsible, negligent parents because of it.

I hope that my viewpoint is a little clearer now

 

[Exos]

I am concerned with the things that ordinary people are not told about, in general. The more technical aspects of PC ownership. Not whether they can simply use the On/Off button, but can configure it in the same way an electrician might add recessed ceiling lights, electric shower, new consumer unit, etc..

I would align the way an electrician adding a recessed light to the same way I would expect a technician to add in a hard drive, the principle is the same where as I don't really need to be taught or indeed told how to use it in the same way you express that turning a light on and off would be...

A PC and use therof would be aligned in exactly the same way; as a device or item you use.

I think we can agree to disagree.

I am concerned with the things that ordinary people are not told about, in general.

Where you told how to ride a bike or did you learn yourself? When you did how did you find out you needed a helmet to protect yourself, did you know what a helmet did? or did you have someone show you, your parents perhaps? or did you wait until you fell off and cracked open your head before they went out and bought one?

The mechanisms are already there, if people cannot or will not use their own intelligence and link the two then how do they succeeed at life?

 

[ManofScience]

These days, Computers (and the internet) are sold/used/expected to be the saviour of the world, do everything for us and be the answer to our dreams - even to people who don't know why they need one.

they are inheritantly complicated devices made as much as possible to be easily used by anyone - and this is the problem. maybe they aren't for everyone? i too have family and friends who do not know the first thing about how they work, the implications of ownership or responsibilities thus - but they still have one and use it. These are the people who respond the online scams, have PC's virused up the eyeballs when you visit and have 850 toolbars installed in their browsers.

it's a responsibility ultimately of the user - the problem is they don't understand the scope of that responsibility, often thru no fault of their own but it's still ignorance.

i think i agree with both sides.

do i?

 

[Exos]

Possibly

Extrapolating you comments out your essentially saying that people who buy them, but dont comprehend the extent of care that is needed shouldnt effectively own one? Is it the:

User: My computer doesn't do x
[3 hours later]
Computer Tech: "Sir - Madam, please box up your PC, take it back to the store and tell them your'e to stupid to own a PC"

I suspect there are a number of "categories" for users:

Those that Feign Ignorance:
They know they need to do something, they have found out through realisation or are told by a person that turns up at their house to advise that the last AV update was three years ago and McAfee that came with it for free doesn't last for three years; or they have no av at all, spyware is aplenty and the whole family has clicked next next next after downloading "fantasy fairy tale princess rainbow snowdrops story 3 for free" and the associated three pieces of trash, their mailbox is full of nigerian scam, adverts for viagra and they really do believe their bank has just asked them for a password to their account; but they still carry on thinking they can just get good ole george down the road to look at it again in six months.

Those that buy on a whim [The Ignorant 1]:
Why? because their kids have pressured them into it. Not bothering to even look at what it does', what they need or how to use it; just like anything else they go out and buy one because they can thinking pressing a few buttons will do the trick.

Those that buy from PC world or take their advice [The Ignorant 2]:
.....

Those that research ask questions and then purchase:
The more likely of the few to actually learn as they go; still room for mistakes and error but generally they will more often than not use their initiative.

The technically proficient:
Spend months looking at Super Sparkly Shiny and it's innards, install their own software, understand completely what they need and how to get it.

 

[Him Her]

Arfur...why do you suppose I propose parents shouldn't have a means to protect their children? I didn't say that. I suggested that the nanny state doesn't credit parents with any sense. It may be sensible to have ISPs publicise options that parents may wish to apply. Currently, only one ISP provides any kind of filtering by default and even that doesn't apply to other devices - the PC is filtered but tablets, phones etc. are not.

Open DNS??? Are you on something? If they can't figure out content filtering, they'll get OpenDNS??? Not...

The Internet is a 'fountain of knowledge'??? That's an interesting perspective...

However, 'tell parents easyish ways of protecting their children' that I DO agree with