The announcement was made after months of behind-the-scenes talks with the UK’s four biggest ISPs, all of whom have agreed to introduce filters. The new defaults will not be legally enforced, although Mr Cameron has suggested that he would ‘force action’ and legislate if they were not introduced. They are designed to prevent accidental and casual exposure to hardcore pornographic material, particularly for children and young people.
Mr Cameron claimed in his speech that, ‘online pornography is corroding childhood… in the darkest corners of the internet, there are things going on that are a direct danger to our children, and that must be stamped out.’ However, while charities including the NSPCC and the End Violence Against Women Coalition warmly welcomed his words, others were less convinced. Influential political blogger Paul Bernal outlined ten questions of and objections to the proposals, asking: ‘Do you really think these plans will stop the “corrosion” of childhood?... I suspect this whole thing misses the point. It perpetuates a myth that you can make the internet a “safe” place, and absolves parents of the real responsibility they have for helping their kids to grow up as savvy, wary and discerning internet users. It creates a straw man – the corrosion of childhood, such as it exists, comes from a much broader societal problem than internet porn, and if you focus only on internet porn, you can miss all the rest.’
Former Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre boss Jim Gamble told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the proposals would treat the symptom rather than the cause of pornography by targeting internet users instead of those who make illegal pornography. ‘You need a real deterrent,’ he claimed, ‘not a pop-up that paedophiles will laugh at.’
Meanwhile, the move has been broadly welcomed among youth workers, who see this as an important step in the fight against the sexualisation of young people. Jason Royce, Director of Christian relationships education charity Romance Academy, told Youthwork: ‘I welcome David Cameron’s comments that what happens in the virtual world has consequences in the real world. After lots of work by many people and organisations the government is finally taking some action.’
However, Royce too is concerned that this first step isn’t enough. ‘Filters are easily bypassed by media-savvy young people and homes where parents want to access pornography will be no better protected than before,’ he explained. ‘I think more needs to be done to help parents engage in how their children and young people are using media and technology. To help young people understand the justice issues surrounding pornography, from sexual trafficking to the portrayal of abuse towards men and women. Rather than internet filters, I want to help young people install their own internal filters that help them make wise choices, not just about what they watch and the sites they access but about relationships and context for sex.’
A number of lobby groups (and the Daily Mail) claimed the news as a victory. Premier Media Group – which publishes this magazine – were behind the influential ‘Safetynet’ campaign which delivered a 100,000 signature to Downing Street, calling for the reforms.
Read editor Martin Saunders’ response to the announcement at www.youthwork.co.uk
‘more needs to be done to help parents engage with how their children and young people are using media and technology ’ Jason Royce , Romance Academy
Comment
Beth Stout , Golddigger Trust
The sexualisation of young people and the influence of porn is a well discussed topic and it’s a justifiable question to ask if any of these proposals will make a real difference ‘on the ground’?
Recent research conducted by Rape Crisis South London found that when searching for ‘free porn’ on Google, half of the top ten sites featured rape pornography. More than three-quarters of the top 50 ‘rape porn’ sites advertised content portraying simulated attacks on girls under 18. With one in three 13-17 year-old girls stating that they’ve experienced sexual abuse within a relationship (source: NSPCC), is it possible to suggest a link with pornography?
For many of the young people we work with at Golddigger Trust, violence, intimidation and sexual pressure are just normal parts of a teen relationship. It’s encouraged and influenced by access to pornography, and we’re not talking page three - we’re taking violent depictions of rape, and the pressure to create porn yourself.
As we work across a spectrum of experiences, from those who’ve been systematically sexually exploited, to those in the ‘safe’ sanctuary of a suburban church, we see the fingerprints that come from growing up with the world (both good and bad) at your digital fingertips.
But as we equip young people to make better choices, we also strive to make the positive choice easier to make. Cameron spoke in his speech of filters making parenting ‘easier not harder’, and this is true for young people too.
So where’s the hope? Children are being overly sexualized, rape is glorified and violence in teen relationships is on the rise should we just pray for a Left Behind-style rapture right now?!
I believe that the hope is in the small steps that keep us moving towards redeeming and reforming our society and making things better, not worse, for the next generation. David Cameron’s speech may just be a small step, a small shift towards better protecting the vulnerable. But surely each small step is worth celebrating as we keep looking for the next place to set our feet?
Beth Stout is the Chief Executive of Golddigger Trust, a charity working to unearth value and worth in young people. @Bethgolddigger
