UK ISPs Will Filter Adult Content By Next Year

According to a report by Wired.co.uk British ISPs will begin automatically filtering adult content from their services from 2014. Apparently the filter will not completely block adult content for everyone, in fact it is possible to turn off the filter for several hours at a time. They are trying to make filtering a standard across the industry that will affect both new and existing accounts. Apparently the filtering is going to be “auto-on” but can be turned off.

“We will have automatic put on, so if you turn the filter off at 9PM, it turns on again at 7AM,” Claire Perry MP said.

The filter is already causing outrage because even though it can be turned off when you want, people are questioning what right does the government have to choose what we can access and when we can access it. Many are suggesting that government should make the filter auto-off so that end-users can decide to turn it on if they so wish. Personally I think the government should just keep their noses out of our internet services because a whole range of questions pop up from this such as who decides what “adult content” is? We could easily see websites being wrongly blocked by such filters if the system isn’t intelligent enough.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

Image courtesy of Wired.co.uk