Byline: James Chapman Political Editor
INTERNET companies are to be forced to shield children from a growing tide of pornography.
Ministers are backing the idea of an 'opt-in' system that would mean users having to choose to view explicit sites.
Parents worried about what their children are looking at online would be reassured that inappropriate material is otherwise automatically blocked.
Providers are to be given until the autumn to develop a system based on one already used successfully to restrict access to paedophile sites. If not, laws will be introduced to make them comply.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: 'We are telling people that if they do not co-operate in bringing forward measures that will deal with this issue fast, we will legislate and regulate.' There is growing concern about the impact of sexual content on the internet on Britain's children. On average, they start to use the web at the age of eight.
Research suggests as many as one in three under-tens has seen pornography on the web, while four in every five children aged 14 to 16 admit regularly accessing explicit photographs and footage on their home computers.
Half of children say they use the internet alone in their bedroom, making it difficult for parents to effectively monitor their activity.
Only 3 per cent of pornographic websites require proof-of-age before granting access to sexually explicit material, and two-thirds do not even include any adult-content warnings.
Devizes MP Claire Perry, a rising Tory star who has led a campaign for a change in the law, said internet firms should 'share the responsibility' of protecting children.
'The best option would be for the British internet service providers to come up with their own opt-in model and we know they can do it - they worked together brilliantly to block access to child abuse websites,' said the mother of three.
'But if they won't act or are moving too slowly, then I really welcome Jeremy Hunt's commitment to legislating to sort this out.
'We know parents across the country are really worried about their children seeing internet porn and it is time to do something about it.' Under the proposed system, pornographic sites will be blocked until an adult user specifically requests it. Another possibility is a movie-type rating system only allowing adult users in the home to view such sites.
Ministers have held private talks with the main internet providers to urge them to adopt an opt-in system themselves. Some are said to have agreed such a system could work, but other firms argue it would be unworkable.
The biggest providers, including BT, Virgin, BskyB, Orange, Talk Talk and O2, have now been given the autumn deadline to develop a workable plan or face a change in the law. NSPCC policy adviser Claire Lilley said: 'Legal pornography on the internet should be available in the same way as buying an adult magazine or a ticket to an 18 rated film - in other words, only for adults who request it.
'Children can easily stumble across unsuitable sexual images online. If the internet industry gave adults the option to choose to view this material rather having it readily available it would go a long way towards protecting children.' Sheila Eaton, president of the National Council of Women: 'We support the opt-in model for internet pornography 100 per cent. We know that children visit the web for good reasons - schoolwork, information, chat, games and to download music - but research has also shown children as young as eight are accessing pornography.
'Research has revealed some disturbing trends: that pornography leads to acceptance of violent and unhealthy notions of sex and relationships, where women are objects and aggressive behaviour is the norm.' j.chapman@dailymail.co.uk
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Surfing the net: New controls are being proposed
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