UK govt consults on Internet porn

The British government is to consult on tough measures to protect children from Internet pornography, The Guardian reports.

Under plans being draw up by Downing Street, it would be up to customers to "opt-in" to receive adult content online when they take out a broadband contract.

According to PC Pro, the campaign to block adult content from the Web, and require customers to opt in to receive it, has been led by MP Claire Perry, and is backed by The Daily Mail.

It initially met with little support from the prime minister, and has been criticised by digital rights groups and industry bodies.

Research suggests as many as one in three under-10s has seen pornography on the Web, while four in every five children aged 14 to 16 admit regularly accessing explicit images and video footage on their home computers, The Daily Mail writes.

Only 3% of pornographic Web sites require proof-of-age before granting access to sexually explicit material, and two-thirds do not even include any adult-content warnings.