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Thursday 17th May 2012

ISP block turns into another ‘female-appeal’ gaff

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ISP block turns into another ‘female-appeal’ gaff

Posted by Guest Blogger 13 October 2011 Business |  Careers |  Guest blogger |  Research |  Social media |  Technology |  Women |  Women in IT Written by Julia Kukiewicz

Earlier this week, the Government announced that the UK’s four biggest broadband providers – BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Sky – would start blocking adult content.

At least, that’s the impression readers of the major papers got.

The truth is the big four ISPs have only agreed to make their existing child protection software more easily available to new customers and more visible to their existing ones.

All of those four, except Sky - which offers a free trial of McAfee software, already offer filtering software of one form or another which allows parents to block any sites or topics they consider inappropriate.

TalkTalk report that users of their Homesafe software most frequently block sites relating to suicide and self-harm, for example. Yes, more than porn.

So how did reporters briefed by the Government get the impression that broadband users would soon have to opt-in to look at porn?

It seems likely that there was good deal of over-enthusiastic briefing alongside the healthy dose of mis-reporting (I didn’t see one tech site that bought the ‘opt-in’ line, either because they knew on sight how unworkable the idea was or because they’d actually spoken to the ISPs).

And that over-enthusiastic briefing seems likely to have come from the Government’s pursuit of the female vote.

It’s not a bad thing in itself – several studies have shown that women are more likely than men to support stronger curbs on online porn and it’s right that their views should be taken into account – but the fact that the pursuit of female-friendly policies has been so gaffe-strewn so far is depressing.

The fact that this one was founded on a misunderstanding of technology is more depressing still.

Julia Kukiewicz edits consumer broadband deals site Choose, home to the cheapest broadband.
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