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MPs tell ISPs to filter web: ISPs say, erm, we already do!
16 Oct 2009 | 11.36 Europe/London
A report from the All Party Parliamentary Commons Group (Appcom) which calls on ISPs to filter the Net for malware and to put child-protection on mobile devices has met with some bemusement among internet providers.
On the one hand, TalkTalk and other ISPs have reported they are pleased with the report urging the government to reconsider disconnection plans for illegal downloaders, pointing out this could punish other people on the same connection and is inconsistent with spreading the adoption of eGovernment.
In fact, the report goes further, suggesting that the blame for illegal downloading should be apportioned to the music industry for not protecting its content and for being too slow to develop legal alternatives.
However, less to ISPs’ liking, the report also demanded that ISPs “immediately start the process of agreeing a voluntary code for detection of, and effective dealing with, malware infected machines in the UK. If this voluntary approach fails to yield results in a timely manner, then we further recommend that Ofcom unilaterally create such a code, and impose it upon the UK
ISP industry on a statutory basis”.
The other main point was that the child protection filters that are often available on fixed connections should be automatically provided on mobile devices, such as phone handsets and dongles.
Virgin Media response
Asking ISPs to police the web is never going to be a popular move among internet providers but the latest proposals have certainly caused some scratching of heads. While the ISPs figure out their official responses to the report SamKnows discovered that at Virgin Media, at least, there is a hint of bewilderment.
The feedback we have had from Virgin Media is that it already provides free anti-virus and anti-spyware software to all subscribers and its ‘family’ higher speed connections include identity theft and parental control protection. Indeed, most ISPs offer protective software free or as an option.
Furthermore Virgin Media points out to SamKnows that its mobile phone services come with adult material blocked, requiring a subscriber aged over 18 to ask the provider to unblock such content. It also points out that it does not block adult material on mobile broadband or include parental control features because to have mobile broadband access a subscriber must be aged over 18.
On the one hand, TalkTalk and other ISPs have reported they are pleased with the report urging the government to reconsider disconnection plans for illegal downloaders, pointing out this could punish other people on the same connection and is inconsistent with spreading the adoption of eGovernment.
In fact, the report goes further, suggesting that the blame for illegal downloading should be apportioned to the music industry for not protecting its content and for being too slow to develop legal alternatives.
However, less to ISPs’ liking, the report also demanded that ISPs “immediately start the process of agreeing a voluntary code for detection of, and effective dealing with, malware infected machines in the UK. If this voluntary approach fails to yield results in a timely manner, then we further recommend that Ofcom unilaterally create such a code, and impose it upon the UK
ISP industry on a statutory basis”.
The other main point was that the child protection filters that are often available on fixed connections should be automatically provided on mobile devices, such as phone handsets and dongles.
Virgin Media response
Asking ISPs to police the web is never going to be a popular move among internet providers but the latest proposals have certainly caused some scratching of heads. While the ISPs figure out their official responses to the report SamKnows discovered that at Virgin Media, at least, there is a hint of bewilderment.
The feedback we have had from Virgin Media is that it already provides free anti-virus and anti-spyware software to all subscribers and its ‘family’ higher speed connections include identity theft and parental control protection. Indeed, most ISPs offer protective software free or as an option.
Furthermore Virgin Media points out to SamKnows that its mobile phone services come with adult material blocked, requiring a subscriber aged over 18 to ask the provider to unblock such content. It also points out that it does not block adult material on mobile broadband or include parental control features because to have mobile broadband access a subscriber must be aged over 18.