Draft Online Safety Bill to block pornographic sites in UK

[u-Bob]

A new bill proposed to the House of Lords by Baroness Howe of Ildicote,
requires ISPs and mobile operators to "provide a service that excludes
pornographic images" and electronic device manufacturers to include ways
to filter content at the point of purchase.

If enacted, the Online Safety Bill will force ISPs to prevent access of
their customers to pornographic images unless those customers, aged over
18 actively ?opt-in? to access the respective material by telling "the
service provider of his or her consent to subscribe to a service that
includes pornographic images". The ISPs may deny the customers option
unless the website featuring the images "has an age verification policy
which has been used to confirm that the subscriber is aged 18 or over".

The manufacturers of "electronic devices" will also have to "provide
customers with a means of filtering content from an Internet access
service at the time the device is purchased" by electronic devices, the
bill meaning any device "capable of connecting to an Internet access
service and downloading content".

The ISPs and mobile operators would also be required to provide
customers with "prominent, easily accessible and clear information about
online safety" and on ?the safe and responsible use of the Internet by
children and young people on an electronic device," when they go to
purchase their services and make that information "available for the
duration of the service".

The proposal is a Private Members Bill, which needs the Government?s
support. Yet, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has already
said it would not support the bill. "Much can be achieved through
self-regulation and it can be more effective than a regulatory approach
in delivering flexible solutions that work for both industry and
consumers,? stated DCMS spokesman.

Also, a trade industry body representing UK ISPs told Out-Law.com that
it was against the proposed legislation. "ISPA does not believe there is
a need for legislation on this issue as there is healthy competition in
the industry and ISPs are responsive to consumer demands. The Bailey
Report published last year also acknowledged that 'industry already does
much to help educate parents about parental controls, age-restriction
and content filters'. Government should concentrate on helping educate
consumers to ensure they know about the tools already available to them
to restrict unwanted content," said a spokesperson for the Internet
Service Providers' Association (ISPA) who added that "Filtering by
default will only reduce the degree of active interest and parental
mediation, lull parents into a false sense of security and lead to over
blocking. The question also arises of who decides what is pornographic
and what is not."

Automatic porn censorship legislation proposed (4.04.2012)
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2...tion-proposed/

Online Safety Bill (HL Bill 137)
http://www.publications.parliament.u...20137_en_1.htm

Lords bill demands ISPs and device makers block porn (5.04.2012)
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/373951/l...ers-block-porn

[BIGTYMER]

Firewall deny *.xxx

[ottopottomouse]

mobile phones and dongles already come set up like this and you have to ask to be unblocked for all sorts of things that aren't porn and 'embarrassing' so people will just remove the block.