Starting today, all new Sky Broadband customers will have content filters enabled by default.
The internet provider said the the move would "help families protect their children from inappropriate content". The auto-filtering move comes after the government published new proposals in the Digital Economy Bill.
"From today, Sky Broadband Shield will be automatically switched on the moment a new customer activates their Sky Broadband," Sky explained. The company firm first announced the plans in December 2015.
This means that the first time a user goes to a restricted website, they will be invited to amend the filter settings, or turn it off altogether. However, only the account holder will have the ability to do this - not necessarily a hurdle for families, but potentially a problem in shared houses of adult occupants. Sky's announcement does not specify what filters will be used to determine whether a site is "inappropriate" or not.
Sky has been testing the default filtering system since 2015, including default blocks on adult websites. The company says such tactics have resulted in much "higher engagement and usage" with Broadband Shield, with "around two thirds of customers we rolled it out to [having] continued to make use of the software."
The company also confirmed that while the "Auto On" shield currently only applies to new customers, it will be grandfathered out to existing internet users in the coming months. "We will be contacting millions more Sky Broadband customers who haven't yet made a decision about Sky Broadband Shield," said Lyssa McGowan, brand director of communications. "If they don't respond, we will switch it on for them and invite them to amend or switch it off themselves."
Sky is among the first major ISPs in the UK to enact parts of the Digital Economy Bill which will, as outlined in the Queen's Speech in May 2016, push for age verification on all pornographic websites. The Bill also proposes rights for homes and businesses to be able to get a minimum download speed on request, and that providers should automatically compensate customers if they do not meet their service obligations.
"We will continue to listen closely to what our customers are telling us about how we can further support them in keeping their families safe," said McGowan, "but also help the government deliver its objectives for a safer internet."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
