ISPs in Ireland criticise UK ISPs' stance on porn sites access as "censorship"

[Dr Pat]

Report in today's Irish Independent states that Irish internet service providers are unhappy at their UK counterparts' requirement for customers to have to opt-in if they want to access pornography sites.

Extract from the report:

"Customers who do not specifically 'opt in' for access to adult content will be unable to log on to pornographic websites.

However, the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI) has dismissed such measures as 'censorship', saying the responsibility should lie with parents to regulate what children access on the web.

"If internet service providers are dictating what can be accessed, then that could be seen as nothing less than censorship. Essentially we would be deciding what would be the inappropriate material. That should be left to the parents or guardians," said Paul Duran from the ISPAI.

The ISPAI represents 20 Internet Service Providers in Ireland including the likes of Eircom, O2, Vodafone and UPC."

Read more: Web providers hit out at 'censorship' of internet porn - National News - Independent.ie

Interestingly, the report goes on to say that the "Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald admitted that the UK was "further ahead" in terms of protecting children from inappropriate online material, but she refused to comment on whether there were any plans to persuade Irish internet providers to adopt the British model."

Is this a case of the Irish ISPs trying to forestall any measures by Government to introduce similar controls because they may be aware that customers will be reluctant to "opt in" and it will make it more difficult for ISPs to market their internet provision services?

Do you agree with their stance or should UK practice be followed with similar controls?

[Con Gallagher]

ISP employees who are aware that child pornography is being downloaded by particular addresses but who fail to inform the gardai should be individually prosecuted. Adult porn is none of their or the states business, though an
Opt in with a credit card to prove being an adult is hardly objectionable of itself.

[simeongrimes]

ISPs should not take on the role of moral guardians of any kind because if they do they will be under pressure from every tin pot pressure group to help enforce their particular obsession. They should assist the police in tracing any site involved in the commission of a crime. That's all.

[ruserious]

That would be an awkward phonecall!!!

''Hello, any chance you can connect me up to the ole...in the backdooor...thingymajig.

[borntorum]

If porn is singled out for regulation, why not violent material, or pro-drugs material, or extremist political views?

The notion that ISPs would limit access to legal material is disquieting

[Dr Pat]

That would be an awkward phonecall!!!

''Hello, any chance you can connect me up to the ole...in the backdooor...thingymajig.

Especially if the wife gets to learn of it!!!

[johnfás]

ISP employees who are aware that child pornography is being downloaded by particular addresses but who fail to inform the gardai should be individually prosecuted. Adult porn is none of their or the states business, though an
Opt in with a credit card to prove being an adult is hardly objectionable of itself.

I would suspect they "don't know" because they specifically do not monitor activity. Eircom etc don't monitor any of your downloading , the music industry does and then sends a report to Eircom. The reason being if they did have knowledge of your activity and such activity did include child pornography they would be liable to criminal prosecution if they didn't report it.

[Sister Mercedes]

I would imagine that the majority of households in Ireland do not have young children. The onus should be on households with children to opt out, rather than for the rest of us to opt in.

[johnfás]

I would imagine that the majority of households in Ireland do not have young children. The onus should be on households with children to out out, rather than for the rest of us to opt in.

Why not just opt in? Afraid the wife will catch you?

[Aindriu]

"Eircom etc don't monitor any of your downloading " Are you 100% sure of that? I would suspect that all ISP's have logging setup to record every site visited and what IP requested the access to the site. It would be naive for anyone to think that their ISP does not log the sites their clients are visiting.