Open Digital welcomes ISPs offering more choice for consumers, allowing them to choose to block most adult content from being accessed over a customer's internet connection. However, we urge ISPs to warn parents not to rely on technical measures as the sole safeguard against children accessing potentially harmful content, as no filtering system is 100% effective.
We welcome ISPs working together with the government to improve the "digital literacy" of customers, many of whom are not aware of the wide range of online threats, including harmful content being accessed by their children.
We also call on ISPs to offer such blocks on a voluntary basis, so they can easily be switched on, but are not enabled by default. ISPs should provide full transparency of the websites blocked by their filters, providing website owners with a quick and effective mechanism to check if their websites are blocked, and a rapid resolution procedure for website owners who feel their websites are being unfairly blocked. We are aware of several high profile UK websites, including blogs, activist sites and at least one high street chain which have been inappropriately blocked by at least one mobile network operator as "adult content".
Unfair accidental blocking of commercial websites has the potential to cause serious financial damage and can prompt customers to turn off adult content blocking altogether, in order to access regular content, potentially leaving children at risk of accidental exposure.
The text was agreed by email vote, with 3 votes in favour, 1 non-response, the proposer abstaining and no votes against.
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