Macclesfield MP David Rutley has welcomed the publication of the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection.
David is one of a panel of MPs who are pressing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and working with the Government to protect children online.
Nine out of ten children now live in a home with internet access and in 60% of these children have unfiltered access to the internet. With each household having up to 17 internet enabled devices, all too often children are just a click away from pornographic images, violence and pro-anorexia sites. This is a huge worry and the panel of MPs want to make it easier for parents, who are often not as web savvy as their children, to make the internet safer.
The Inquiry has made a number of recommendations, including: calling on the Government to initiate a formal review of an Opt-In filter to access adult material online; establishing a single regulator to lead on internet safety; creating a default adult-content bar on public Wi-Fi networks; and pressing ISPs to speed up the implementation of “single account” network filters.
David said, “While the positive influence of the internet on modern life cannot be disputed, it is important that proper protections are in place to safeguard our children online. All too often children can easily access unsuitable and disturbing images. It is vital that as parents we are able to protect our children. I welcome the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection and will continue to work to ensure that its recommendations are taken on board.”