A YouGov poll in February 2011 found that 93% of Women and 73% Men (83% average total) felt that the ease with which pornographic content can be viewed on the internet is damaging to children. However, only one of the top six UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs), TalkTalk, is willing to block pornographic content at network level.
In June 2011 Reg Bailey, the Chief Executive of the Mothers’ Union, carried out an independent review entitled ‘Letting Children be Children’ looking at the pressures on children to grow up too quickly. His report produced a number of recommendations including making every customer make a decision at the point of purchase over whether they want adult content on their home internet, laptops or smart phones, rather than receiving it automatically.
David Cameron gave a strong backing to the report, but has not yet committed his government to legislation. At a government hosted a summit in October 2011 the biggest four ISPs committed to introducing a code of practice forcing new customers to choose whether or not to install parental controls. Whilst this is a move in the right direction, in the Government’s eyes it does not go far enough to address the issue seriously. You can read the very promising letter summarising the summit by Sarah Teather, Minister for Children and Families HERE and keep up-to-date with the Government’s latest action on the issue HERE.
The Government has planned to review progress on the issue in October 2012. In the meantime Premier Media Group who produce Christianity Magazine and run Premier Radio have launched a major new campaign entitled Safety Net: Protecting Innocence Online calling call on the Government to force Internet Service Providers to make accessing pornography an adult only opt-in service.
This is an issue that the Church needs to speak up on in order to put pressure on the Government to get serious with the ISPs and not let them get away with limited and ineffective changes. Please visit the site to find out more and sign the petition.
Categories: Children & families, Government, Sex & pornography
Why Internet Service Providers are putting profits before children’s welfare 
God and Politics in the UK 
This must be a cultural thing…I can’t imagine any Christian in the US suggesting that all ISPs should automatically block all pornographic material.
That really surprises me. Plenty of people in our country are calling for this and not just Christians.
Rhea, Wayne Grudem comes pretty close to this position in his book Politics According to the Bible. And he (literally) takes a textbook Religious Right approach.
In any case, I have a post responding to this at http://greenchristian.co.uk/2012/02/is-censorship-the-right-response-to-protecting-children/
I wonder what the cultural difference is in America and why would they take a differing attitude. I should imagine they dont approve of pornography for children, or is it just the pragmatic problem of making the filtering process water tight as highlighted by Stephen. Rhea i noticed you have made reference to the states before . I am curious to know if you have lived there, have family there or are indeed american yourself ?
wonderful, those remaining ISPs better comply and block all such evil content, otherwise God’s judgement would catch up with them and they would all eventually go into business administration, that’s a prophecy and it will happen!