Cameron to consider automatic porn filters for ISPs

The Government is considering whether to force internet service providers (ISPs) to introduce network-based filtering measures to block porn.

Despite the technical difficulties this would pose, it appears David Cameron is taking these calls seriously and is expected to begin a consultation process in the next few weeks.

The aim is to help protect children from inappropriate online content and the campaign for ISPs to automatically block adult content has been pushed by Conservative MP Claire Perry. As chairwoman of a cross-party Parliamentary inquiry into child protection online, she said that PC owners found it difficult to understand how to block adult content and that ISPs needed to do more to keep children safe.

If it is decided to introduce mandatory blocking, people wanting to view adult content would have to ‘opt-in' to remove the filters. However widespread opposition to these plans is expected.

Nicholas Lansman, ISPA secretary general, said: "Forcing ISPs to filter adult content at the network level is neither the most effective nor most appropriate way to prevent access to inappropriate material online."

Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group said: "Default blocks are a form of censorship. If placed in networks, they could create a national infrastructure for censorship. We welcome a consultation but default filternets are awful. They block a wide range of innocent material; and nobody should be advocating broader and simpler censorship.

"All the independent evidence has pointed to giving parents simple tools and choices. There is no need to create network-level censorship in the name of a porn opt-in."

A director of UK porn distributor Ben Dover Productions said a ban wouldn't affect the industry. "While personally I dislike this nanny state intervention" a ban wouldn't have any effect on our revenues as those that pay for our product have already registered their details as well as undertaking an age-verification process. It may even assist combating online piracy, therefore increasing our profits," said Julian Becker.

We put the concerns expressed by ISPA and the ORG to both Claire Perry and children's minister Tim Loughton for comment but neither has responded.