BT Porn Filter Now Automatically Active for All New Customers

UNITED KINGDOM—BT has announced that henceforth its parental filter will be automatically operative for new customers, covering every internet-enabled device connected to their home broadband service. "The implementation of the controls will be pre-selected for new users who are setting up their internet connection for the first time," reported the BBC. "They will have to confirm this option and then will be asked to set a filter level. There will be three levels—strict, moderate and light—or customers can choose to turn the filter off." Existing customers will be relieved to learn that they are not forgotten, but will be contacted by BT during 2014 and "asked to make a decision on whether or not they want to set up the new service." Pete Oliver, BT's managing director of consumer commercial marketing and digital, commented, "BT takes the issue of online child protection extremely seriously and we are very pleased to be able to launch the whole-home filter to help parents keep their families safe online." According to BBC, "Sites that show pornography, refer to illegal drugs or promote self-harm will all be blocked. Other categories of sites that the filter can be set to block include nudity, social networking and gaming. With 6.8 million broadband customers, BT accounts for a sizeable percentage of the 20 million+ UK homes that have internet connections, 95 percent of which are required to make the choice regarding their access to porn by the end of 2014. Two other Uk ISPs, Sky and Talk Talk, "have already implemented their own version of a 'family-friendly' filter. Virgin is expected to introduce something similar in the new year."