Virgin Media is the last of the top internet service provider in the UK to roll out network level porn filter to block inappropriate online content and pornography.
Dubbed Web Safe the porn filtering is currently only available to new customers and according to Virgin Media, the feature will be rolled out to existing subscribers by end of 2014.
New subscribers will be able to configure whether they want to enable filtering or not during initial setup. The filter is at the network level and so it will provide protection against unwanted content on all devices connecting to the internet through that router.
Virgin Media’s Web Safe blocks access to sites that feature content related to drug use, hate speech, pornography, violence, self-harm and suicide. The internet service provider has revealed that it is working on a more flexible system that will provide its customers with a more granular control over what all content they can and cannot access.
Virgin Media has collaborated with F-Secure to protect users while they are away from their home. Users will be required to install software from the security company on their computing device to be protected.
We are not sure if Virgin Media’s network level filter will suffer from the same issues that other ISPs were reportedly facing including blockade of legal content dealing with sexual abuse and helplines. In a bid to tackle the over-blocking of content, the UK government started working on a white list that will be distributed to all ISPs.
BT rolled out its network level porn filter last year in December, while Sky rolled out its filter in November.
