We already successfully regulate British TV channels, cinema screens, high street hoardings and newsagent shelves.
“Why should the internet be any different? British internet service providers should share the responsibility to keep our children safe, so I am calling for ISPs to offer an ‘opt-in’ system that uses age verification to access pornographic material.”Trouble is that's not actually a very good solution.
An adult might want to be allowed to visit some gambling or violent movie sites while keeping their children away from them. So, a blanket setting on an ISP account won't support that.
But we already have a solution to this problem: separate family member accounts. If you don't have this already then you should, and not just to keep your kids away from unsuitable material. It also means that your kids can keep their documents and favourites away from yours and that they can't go installing dodgy software because they don't have the rights.
It's been in Windows since Vista and in Mac (but I'm not sure which version). Setting it up takes a matter of minutes, and requires no government to pass a whole load of hideous, expensive and useless Think Of The Children legislation.
I don't expect the government to be full of ubergeeks, but it would be nice to have people who are at least a little computer literate running the show, especially if they're going to comment on it.
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