Four million Britons will be able to opt out of viewing internet pornography after internet service provider TalkTalk offered protection from adult content, according to reports.
The Sunday Times reports the filter, HomeSafe, will block content like adult content such as pornography, and sites dealing with self-harm and suicide to all TalkTalk customers.
The company’s chief executive Dido Harding said the move would challenge other internet service providers, who have not yet offered an opt-out to all customers: “Our competitors are being dreadfully slow to wake up to the fact that society as a whole cares strongly about this.”
Talktalk offered new customers the opportunity to opt out in February, but will now roll out the chance to their 4.2m customers. It said it expects around a quarter of their customers to use the filter.
Earlier this week Claire Perry, the Tory MP for Devizes in Wiltshire who has campaigned for better safeguards on internet pornography told The Huffington Post UK she wants all internet service providers to block adult content by default, only allowing it into homes when people specifically ask for it.
"The problem with this space is that it’s all, ‘hands off the internet, it’s my space,’ and then ‘oh, porn is bad'. But it's cross party, supported by atheists, feminists, people who are extremely right-wing, those with strong religious persuasions, and that’s really good,” she said.
TalkTalk's move falls short of this, with customers being able to opt-out rather than being told to opt-in.