A campaign part-launched by Youthwork magazine is calling on the government to tackle the issues that allow millions of children and young people to view explicit images online. The Safety Net campaign, which already has over 35,000 signatures, is lobbying the government to make blocking porn at network level compulsory. The campaign was formed in response to the devastating statistic that over 80 per cent of 14-16 year olds regularly access explicit photos and footage on their home computers.
The campaign team - which includes Youthwork managing Editor Martin Saunders - plan to use public support to put pressure on the Government to make Internet Service Providers change the way adult content is made available. Instead of offering an ‘opt-out’ service for adult content (of the major five Broadband suppliers, only TalkTalk offers this at present), the campaigners want ‘opt-in’ to be the industry standard, so that adults who wish to access explicit content online will have to select this option when registering their broadband package.
Backing Safetynet is the Message Trust’s Ian Henderson, founder of the Naked Truth Project, who said: ‘It’s not complicated - I’ve got small kids, so I don’t leave the front door wide open. When I have teenagers I won’t leave them alone with a drug dealer who wants to get them hooked. Porn can be harmful and addictive. The Safetynet campaign simply wants to put the chain on the door of the internet and give you the chance to decide who comes in your house. We need to porn-proof our families and get involved.’
Organisations supporting the campaign include the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, Romance Academy, Urban Saints and CARE. To find out more about the campaign, and to sign the petition, visit www.safetynet.org.uk.
