Minister says parents should block porn on home PCs

Culture Secretary Maria Millar has insisted that arents and not internet service providers (ISPs) are responsible for ensuring their children stay safe from porn websites and other inappropriate content.

Ms Miller said that although demands from some quarters for ISPs to block porn would be considered by the Government, she felt its role was to help give advice rather than legislate in this matter.

Read more: Child protection news | parental control tips

"I think responsibility is very strongly with parents to make sure that they really understand how their children are using the internet...to make sure they are safe," the MP told the Sunday Times.

Her comments came following the completion of a public consultation into the controversial issue of automatic network filtering by ISPs. Siobhan Freegard, founder of advice site Netmums, agreed with Ms Miller but only up to a point.

"Attempting to totally control the internet is almost impossible," said Freegard. "There will always be websites one step ahead of the latest filtering technology. However on Netmums the vast majority of parents are in favour of any move which stops children being exposed to the most disturbing images – be that through ISP filtering or other means.

"Policy makers need to be mindful that not all parents are tech savvy – and many children are – so any move to place the burden of responsibility on mums and dads must be accompanied by clear and easy to follow information for parents on how to keep their kids safe online," she added.

Porn block controversy
The issue of whether ISPs should block adult content by default using network filters has prompted much debate over the last two years. The Bailey Review Letting Children be Children, which was published last June, put the issue firmly into the spotlight.

Then in May this year Prime Minister David Cameron said the Government would address the issue, which led to a 10-week public consultation run by the Department for Education (DfE) in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

This ran for 10 weeks from June and asked for views on three broad options for keeping children safe from online porn.

The first, default-on or opt-in option, is where an ISP blocks what is considered inappropriate content or devices have software that bars this.

The second is an unavoidable choice about whether or not the person wants filters and blocks installed, which the DfE calls an "active choice".

Otherwise a combination of both systems could be put into place. All these blocks can be removed if wanted.

The DfE is now analysing the responses to this consultation but despite political pressure to make ISPs filter out adult content, many internet experts have warned of the dangers of this censorship.

They point out that technology alone cannot be relied upon to block pornography. Such tools could also censor other internet content considered to have ‘adult' content such as sexual health websites.

ISPs said they already offer parental controls along with advice and guidance. 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."

The findings and recommendations of the DfE consultation are likely to be handed over to Edward Timpson, who is now minister for children and families a department spokesman said.

"There is no definite timeline and all the responses will be analysed carefully before any recommendations are put to the minister," the spokesman added.