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UK ISP TalkTalk has announced it’ll be taking the lead in the new rush to offer porn-free internet connections, with the network soon to ask all of its subscribers to confirm their filtering options. In short, you’ll have to tell it you want porn, if you want porn. We’ll assume you do.
The awkward choice will see the ISP ask all of its 4.2 million subscribers to decide if they’d like the standard, porn-littered version of the internet, of if they’d rather be served pages filtered by the network’s HomeSafe blocking system (which isn’t infallible but still manages to block most flagged sites). Following that choice, users will then be asked to confirm their selection annually, just in case there’s been a terrible mix-up.
Some 350,000 TalkTalk users already get the restricted version of the web through their internet pipes, with government stats suggesting the filtered version of the web is particular popular with the lady subscriber. [Channel 4]
Image credit: Fibre from Shutterstock
Have they stated how the question will be phrased, i.e.
“Do you want internet filtering enabled for your account?”
or
“Do you want to be able to view pornographic content from your account?”
I’m sure if you asked people that question you’d get vastly differing answers.
I’d also be interested in how many “non-porn” things get blocked – breast cancer awareness and the such, which reportedly often get blocked by other over-zealous filtering systems.
I just realised I literally don’t know anyone who uses talk talk =/
I suspect that there will be many who will take this up, simply because they don’t look at porn. However, does the service just block porn or does it block torrent sites and other dubious locations? and do the users have a process of complaint if they feel a certain site has been blocked that should not have been? Personally I would wan’t answers to those questions before signing up for anything
+this.
To be honest, it should be up to the end user to decide what they do and don’t see. As soon as you let someone else do that for you, your freedom to chose for yourself has gone.
We’re all adults; lets act like adults (except when we want to have a laugh down the pub).
Hopefully they’re including the option to sign up for ONLY the adult content and filter out all the family friendly guff.
I would switch to Talk Talk for that.
But then you wouldn’t be able to comment here. Unless Kat activates the Gizmodo.xxx domain which they have “reserved from registration”
I just assumed this site would be classified as ‘tech porn’…
Alas, the “porn” tag is well rehearsed on these here parts. :>
i can already imagine the chat:
“sir would you like to use our special home safe network free from pornographic content”
” well that depends, are we talking about ALL the porn, i wouldn’t mind keeping the lesbian websites open but forget about the rest”
“sir?”
“actually can you also throw in BBW please, thanks a bunch”
Actually it would be a load of complicated Indian speak where you get nothing accomplished but a headache and some service you didn’t want in the first place.
As a Talktalk subscriber, the conversation I had with customer services was so bizarre, I never quite got what they were offering me. It sounded like they were going to provide a service that kept viruses and malware out of the home rather than porn. So in trying to be polite, I think they missed the boat. And thanks but no thanks, I am happy to restrict access to porn myself and not have the ISP responsible for what I might view in my home.
Would it not be easier for talktalk to just provide some decent filtering software free of charge for their customers (like virgin media used to do with their AV suite)? That way they could help stopping kids seeing content they shouldn’t rather then blanket blocking all users on that connection? Surely it’s less intrusive and avoids calls from dads on weekends alone calling up (Alan Partridge voice) saying “can you make porn come on my Internet please?”
You beat me to it! (see below)
What platforms would the filtering software support? iOS, Android, Wii, PS3, etc?
PC based filtering software is pretty much useless these days unless you physically restrict your kids from using any other web-enabled devices. Which doesn’t sound very practical when they are teenagers.
Perhaps one solution is to have a web filter built into the router, but chances are kids will learn how to reset the router and change the settings themselves if they really want to.
Although I do agree that ISP side filtering should be opt in. Talk Talk should contact their customers to make sure they are aware of the filtering service and how to enable it, rather than explicitly asking them if they want to use it.
If it’s not illegal, then surely an adult accessing porn should be a concious decision that he or she makes on a personal level? Why on earth should an ISP get involved? It’s perfectly possible to avoid pornographic content on the internet, providing you don’t go looking for it.
And if the thinking is that this will protect children’s delicate eyes, then surely it’s the parent’s responsibility to obtain a filtering solution? (whether via opt-in blocking from the ISP, or through standalone Security Software vendors).
Hmmmm…
If the kids (or adults) want to look at porn then they’ll find a way. It will be impossible for them to block everything.
Would you be able to sue them if your child managed to find a site that wasn’t blocked as they were advertising a porn-free web service?
Probably won’t be able to sue, if you look at any terms of service they’ll exclude liability in contract and tort for content and it’ll be held reasonable. It might also be difficult to explain the damage suffered
Might be able to get the ASA to investigate but again they’ll probably just ask whether they acted as a reasonable ISP would.
Having, until recently been a Talk Talk subscriber, the question should really be ‘Do you want the Internet’? I’d have just been happy getting a regular connection with or without access to all the Jazz sites I could handle.
“Hello, Susan? Can you make pornography come on my laptop please?”