MPs to reject plans to block online pornography
Parliamentary report asks government to restrict internet access to adult material.
MPs are set to reject proposals demanding stricter controls over how people access pornography online.
Last week, a group of politicians led by Conservative MP Claire Perry published a report demanding that the government "initiate a formal review of an opt-in filter to access adult material on the internet".
The report's suggestions are designed to protect children from pornographic material and other potentially harmful content, such as websites promoting anorexia or self-harm. Under these proposals, broadband providers would be required to ask all users whether they want access to adult material, such as pornographic websites.
However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport looks set to reject the suggestions, as a porn block would infringe on civil liberties.
Civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch welcomed the decision, with spokesman Nick Pickles saying: "It's good that ministers recognise that parents are responsible for bringing up children, not the government.
"Claire Perry's proposals would have meant unprecedented interference in what people do in their own homes and how they bring up their children."
In October last year, the four biggest broadband providers in the UK - BT, Virgin Media, Sky and TalkTalk - agreed to implement an "active choice" system, prompting parents as to whether they want to restrict certain content for children.
To date, TalkTalk is the only provider to offer the opt-in system, and announced that since it launched Active Choice earlier this year, one in three parents now turn on parental controls.
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