Government promotes Internet filtering software

In a speech to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations on Monday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown revealed plans to investigate ways of regulating access to inappropriate material on the Internet.

Ministers will work with ISPs, and communications regulator Ofcom, in a campaign to promote the use of Internet-filtering software. This will include measures to educate parents about the software and a kite-mark scheme to certify net-filtering products.

The kite-mark scheme will be developed by Ofcom and launched later this year. It will assure that the software is effective and easy to use.

The marketing of products to children will be reviewed and new rules could be introduced. The government is also working with Ofcom and industry bodies to develop a method of labelling sites such as YouTube and also videos and games, while avoiding heavy-handed censorship.

The initiative is part of Mr Brown’s wider citizens’ jury plans, which involves UK citizen’s investigating specific issues and reporting their findings to the relevant government department.

The first citizens’ jury is due to meet this week on the subject of children. The need to protect children from inappropriate material on the Internet is expected to form part of the discussion.