UK Kids Exposed to Explicit Content

Although in the United Kingdom legislation that forces ISPs to block kids' access to child explicit content exists since 2007, a good majority of the providers say that they have yet to implement the measure on account of the fact that they have doubts over its effectiveness. In the meantime, parents and children rights activist groups are steadily blaming this state of affairs on the government, stating that the authorities are failing to protect the nation's kids.

“We have not yet implemented the IWF's recommended system because we have concerns over its effectiveness,” a statement released by the Zen Internet company, one of the ISPs that provide 5 percent of broadband connections to the general public in the country, maintains.

But Zoe Hilton, a spokeswoman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), argues that “Allowing this loophole helps feed the appalling trade in images featuring real children being seriously sexually assaulted,” a statement most concerned parents agree with.

“Over 700,000 households in the UK can still get uninterrupted and easy access to illegal child abuse image sites. We now need decisive action from the government to ensure the ISPs that are still refusing to block this foul material are forced to fall into line. Self-regulation on this issue is obviously failing – and in a seriously damaging way for children,” she adds, saying that severe legislation, passed on by the state, is the only way for such content to be regulated.

“In 2006, the government stated that they wished to see 100% of consumer broadband connections covered by blocking, which includes images of child abuse, by the end of 2007. Currently in the UK, 95% of consumer broadband connections are covered by blocking. The government is currently looking at ways to progress the final 5%,” the British Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell, concludes.