ISPs sign up to Code of Practice for parental control software

The four major UK internet service providers (ISPs) have denied that informing customers about the parental controls they offer at the point of sale is a move towards web censorship.

The four ISPs will now ask people when they sign up for a broadband service if they want to activate the parental controls, that the companies already offer as part of their services to block unwanted web content.

A spokesman for Virgin said that the ISPs had no intention of censoring adult content against people's wishes, nor will people be asked if they want to opt in to adult sites.

"This is about a choice at point of sale as to whether to activate parental controls, not blocking any particular type of content. Every ISP already offers software that does this. All that is changing is that, at point of sale, customers will be told more about it and asked whether they want to use it. This is not opting them in or out of adult sites," a Virgin spokesman said

Virgin Media, BT, Sky and Talktalk have been working with the Government and organisations to improve child safety online, and have decided to introduce a Voluntary Code of Practice (CoP).

The aim of this is to address certain recommendations set out in the Bailey Report. This six month review investigated the sexualisation of children and called for among other things, age ratings on music videos.

An industry statement released by the ISPs says: "Sky, Talktalk and Virgin Media are pleased to have developed and agreed a code of practice, including measures to ensure that customers are provided with an active choice as to whether to activate parental controls in the home.

"The four internet service providers have worked closely with Government and a range of stakeholders to swiftly introduce measures which address the recommendations set out in the Bailey Report.

"The ISPs have committed to improve the way we communicate to customers enabling parents to make simple and well-informed choices about installing and activating parental controls and other measures to protect their children online. The four ISPs are working with parents groups and children's charities on this important initiative and will continue to do so."

Today's announcement, however, has led to concerns that this is the first step of putting the UK on the slippery road to web censorship.

Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group warned: "There is a world of difference between offering sensible child safety, and trying to persuade adults to live with layers of censorship. The devil is therefore in the detail, and how "options" are presented.

"Will adults be asked if they need parental controls, or if they want to switch adult content on? We will oppose anything designed to induce adults to live with ‘censorware' which would inevitably deny them access to commentary, health and medical advice."

Virgin said that as all the four ISPs already offer parental control and web filtering software,  the CoP is just about education.

"They will be told how to personalise parental controls to suit their needs. Existing customers will just be reminded about it. If they choose it and then don't want it anymore they can opt out any time they want to," he said.

As well as ISPs agreeing to inform people about parental control software at the point of sale, UK media regulators are going to make it easier for people to complain about content. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), the BBC Trust, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), Ofcom, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) and the Video Standards Council (VSC) / Pan-European Game Information (PEGI). have joined forces to launch ParentPort.

The new website is aimed at helping parents make their views heard on issues relating to programmes, adverts, products and services by providing a way to complain about material they have seen or heard.