Our esteemed Prime Minister has climbed into bed with the Mothers’ Union in order to clamp down on “internet porn”. Presumably this is better than trying to reduce public borrowing. At least he has at last done something decisive.
Mother always knows best, of course. The MU is concerned that young people have unbridled access to a world of pornography and depredation when they switch on the family computer or sneak upstairs with their iPad. So Big Mother has persuaded the Government to force major internet service providers, including Sky, Virgin and BT, to introduce an opt-in service. This means that the dissolute (the majority of us, right, innit?) will have to opt in to see anything that isn’t approved by Mother. All we need to do, presumably, is press the “Yes, I am over 16” button. No doubt if the computer detects a lie, you’ll be rejected.
Major cellular networks have exercised this sort of censorship for years. If you move to a new carrier and try to access MissWhipLash.co.uk you will find it barred. You have to go through a whole rigmarole of getting them to charge £1 to your credit card and then have it refunded. Just to prove who you are. It’s no use clattering into a Vodafone shop with your zimmer frame, they won’t believe you’re over 16 until you’ve proved is in a suitably bureaucratic manner.
Do the Mothers’ Union and David Cameron actually believe this sort of nonsense will achieve anything whatsoever except annoy the majority of users?