Online pornography is to be automatically blocked for all those signing up to internet service providers. By the end of the year, new customers will need to opt in to adult content, as opposed to the current system which requires users to opt out if they wish to block the material. The Prime Minister, David Cameron has been speaking at the NSPCC where he's been outlining the changes as the government tries to tackle extreme content.
He said:
"Everything I've spoken about today comes back to one thing: the kind of society we want to be.
"I want Britain to be the best place to raise a family.
"A place where your children are safe, where there's a sense of right and wrong, and boundaries between them.
"Where children are allowed to be children - all the actions we're taking come back to that.
"Protecting the most vulnerable in our society; protecting innocence; protecting childhood itself.
"That is what is at stake. "And I will do whatever it takes to keep our children safe."
Other announcements made by the Prime Minister include:
- Existing users to be asked whether they wish to restrict adult material.
- Family-friendly Wi-Fi across all public networks where children are likely to be present.
- Pornography which depicts rape and violence to become illegal in England and Wales.
- Search engines are being given two months to do more to block illegal content such as child abuse images.
- The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre given authority to look into file sharing networks using illegal images.
Conservative MP and Christian Claire Perry is the Prime Minister's adviser on preventing the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood.
She told Premier's Des Busteed on the News Hour she wants to make sure all families are supported.
Premier Christian Media has been raising awareness on the issue for a number of years across all its platforms. It's been enabling MPs and peers to discuss it in the Houses of Parliament and has mobilised people from all corners of the Church to unite to highlight their concerns. The information given to the group's supporters used wording such as 'protecting innocence online' which has been picked up on by the Prime Minister.
Pippa Smith is from the Christian campaign group Safer Media. She tells Premier's Charmaine Noble-McLean she's hoping all the changes are implemented well.
Baroness Howe of Idlicote, former chair of the Broadcastings Standards Council, has campaigned on this issue and brought the Online Safety Bill before Parliament.
She's welcomed today's speech by the Prime Minister:
"Of course it will be important to monitor implementation, and we must not count our chickens before they have hatched, but today is a good day for all of us who have long campaigned for child safety online.
"I congratulate the Prime Minister on taking this strong stand."
The Labour Party says the changes aren't as strong as they could have been. It says all broadband users should be forced to opt in if they want access to adult material, not just the new customers.