Web filters too complex to protect children online

UK parents don't see the need for web filtering software to protect their children from innappropriate material, according to a survey.

The findings come from a study carried out by the BBC, the Broadcasting Standards Commission and the Independent Television Commission, and showed that many parents find it difficult to use software designed to guard children against pornographic content and unsavoury chat rooms.

Only 32 per cent said they used filters, either installed at home or offered by their internet service provider. Many respondents told researchers that technical tools were too complex to install and inflexible.

Most prefered informal controls, such as placing the computer where it was visible or only allowing the parent to switch on the computer.

Internet experts have always emphasised that filtering software should never be used in isolation to control how children use the web.

The survey indicated that the UK parents have been unmoved by advertising campaigns from filtering software companies and are not as interested in web censorship as parents in the US.