Code of Practice in Place to Shield Children from Inappropriate Content
Realizing this highly unregulated content on the internet, the UK’s mobile broadband providers have risen to the occasion and signed a voluntary code of practice forwarded by the communications regulator Ofcom to address the issue of young viewers being exposed to content that is deemed unsuitable for them.
One can’t deny the fact that the internet is a gateway to knowledge and information, but many people are concerned about what it could do to children if the wrong sites make their way to their computer screens. It is not good to keep a watchful eye over children all the time or deprive them of the internet, but some believe that like in any medium of education and entertainment, content filtering in the realm of the internet is also a necessity. The internet has more influence on children than any other medium by virtue of it being a highly interactive channel. Hence, content filtering for kids is of paramount importance in the web domain.
Mobile broadband operators agreeing to sign a code of practice is a welcome departure from the general opinion of broadband ISPs, who claim that they are mere service providers who are not responsible for the content that finds its way into people’s homes. The code of practice implementation would require the use of sophisticated filtering methods by operators. For mobile broadband advice, a dedicated site like Broadband Genie is a good place to look, the mobile broadband news and articles offer a good insight into the various ISP’s practices.
According to an official from the Mobile Broadband Group, the code has been the outcome of extensive analysis, with information assembled from various sources. He added that the code holds great promise in its ability to achieve its aims. However, constant surveillance is the keyword in a changing market scenario, and that is what the operators accept as a challenge.
