Recently I asked a couple of questions in the Lords about why standards of filtering for Public WiFi are worse than those adopted by the mobile operators.
Mobile network operators have acted to ensure that content which would be age rated 18 or R18 by the British Board of Film Classification is placed behind access controls and internet filters to restrict access to that content by those under 18. This content includes not only pornography and other adult sexual content but also wider categories of potentially harmful content including suicide and self harm content, pro-smoking and pro-Ana (anorexia nervosa) websites and content which promotes or glorifies discrimination or real life violence. In contrast, the base standard agreed for public WiFi blocks only child sex abuse images and pornography. This means that there is a significant gap in the protection for children accessing the internet away from any parental supervision on public WiFi. A significant difference of which the public in general, and most importantly parents, are generally unaware.
The Minister Lord Younger of Leckie gave assurances that discussions with the WiFi operators via the UK Council for Child Internet Safety were continuing to raise standards. I will be monitoring progress!
