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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take powers to require (a) pornographic sites and (b) emails advertising pornography to be clearly identifiable as to their nature. [69436] Mr. Hilary Benn: The Government believes that a range of methods is required to provide parents and other Internet users with a way of exercising choice about what kind of material they and their children have access to. Easy to use rating and filtering systems, such as that operated by the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA), have an important role to play as does greater public awareness of simple measures which can be taken to protect personal information and help avoid unwanted e-mails (SPAM). These issues are being considered by a Sub Group of the Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet which was established in March 2001 by my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary (Mr. Straw). The Task Force is a partnership of: representatives from internet service and communication providers; the Internet Watch Foundation (which provides a hotline for the public to report child pornography); PC and software retailers and manufacturers; child welfare organisations; the main opposition parties; law enforcement agencies and academics. Among other things, the Task Force is looking at good practice models for providers of chat services, instant messaging and web services which will promote the use of clear and accessible safety advice and better signposting of content. The problem of SPAM including those containing pornography is also being considered by the Sub-Group.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

69436; 389 c1535W;389 c1533W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Access Children Advertising Internet Protection Pornography Child Protection on the Internet Taskforce Internet Content Rating Association

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk