UK Drops 'Opt-in for Porn' Plans Due to Lack of Support

Earlier this year, the UK government opened up a consultation on proposed methods of shielding children from pornographic or unsavory content on the internet. The paper, published at a UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) conference in June, asked for feedback on three options for keeping children safe online. All three options involved blocking porn on an ISP level (whether it was an 'opt-in for porn' solution, or an unavoidable choice on whether or not you wanted filters in place). This week, it emerged that the government has dropped the idea.

According to the BBC, ministers have rejected the plans to automatically block porn on all computers due to a lack of support. The BBC reports that the government received 3,500 responses to the 10-week consultation. Apparently, 35 percent of parents wanted an automatic bar in place, while 15 percent wanted some filtered content and the option to block additional material. Thirteen percent responded that they would like to see a system that asked what you wanted your children to be able to access. The BBC reports that taking respondents as a whole, 80 percent were against all forms of control.

While plans to have ISPs block porn for subscribers have been dropped, the government says internet providers should encourage parents to switch on parental controls that allow for some level of filtering.

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