UK’s anti-porn filter also blocks charity, educational and gay sites

Earlier this year, the United Kingdom imposed a kid-friendly porn-blocking filter — spearheaded by PM David Cameron — on the country’s four biggest internet providers. You know, because there are no adult authority figures in a child’s life to regulate this sort of thing personally, so no one gets porn at all. See how that works?


[Image via The Star]

As we’ve seen in the past, porn-blocking filters aren’t exactly the most discerning programs in the world, so it really shouldn’t be too surprising that Cameron’s filter is taking more than a few liberties with what it blocks.

According to Towleroad, the filter has gone a tad overboard and has now started blocking sites for “child protection charities, women’s charities and gay rights groups, as well as those covering sex education, addiction and abuse.”

But there is good news! Since the internet’s love of porn is matched only by its industriousness, an app for Google Chrome called Go Away Cameron has been created, which allows users to bypass Cameron’s filter and get themselves some sweet, ball-slappy internet sex.

Of course, none of this goes to the root of the problem: we need to start talking to our kids about sex and porn. As weird and uncomfortable as it is to think about it, kids are going to be curious, and they are going to look at porn. Pretending they aren’t, or attempting to shame or ban them from watching porn, isn’t working. The only option left is to talk to them as honestly as we can about what they see and how to differentiate fantasy from reality. Or, you know, censor the internet for an entire country. I’m sure that’s working.

Keep Reading

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change