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Maria Miller warns internet firms on child abuse images Maria Miller warns internet firms on child abuse images
(4 months later)
Internet providers are to face unrelenting pressure to restrict access to "horrific" and illegal images of child abuse, the culture secretary, Maria Miller, will say on Tuesday at a summit with the world's leading ISPs.Internet providers are to face unrelenting pressure to restrict access to "horrific" and illegal images of child abuse, the culture secretary, Maria Miller, will say on Tuesday at a summit with the world's leading ISPs.
In a sign of the government's impatience with the likes of Google, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter, sources say the firms must do more after acting as though "blind" to the problem of child abuse images.In a sign of the government's impatience with the likes of Google, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter, sources say the firms must do more after acting as though "blind" to the problem of child abuse images.
Miller said: "Child abuse images are horrific and widespread public concern has made it clear that the industry must take action. Enough is enough.Miller said: "Child abuse images are horrific and widespread public concern has made it clear that the industry must take action. Enough is enough.
"In recent days we have seen these companies rush to do more because of the pressure of an impending summit. Imagine how much more can be done if they seriously turn their minds to tackling the issue. Pressure will be unrelenting.""In recent days we have seen these companies rush to do more because of the pressure of an impending summit. Imagine how much more can be done if they seriously turn their minds to tackling the issue. Pressure will be unrelenting."
She will say that the companies summoned to the summit have a good record in removing illegal images when they are brought to their attention. But she will call on them to do more and use their technical expertise to ensure the images never appear online in the first place.She will say that the companies summoned to the summit have a good record in removing illegal images when they are brought to their attention. But she will call on them to do more and use their technical expertise to ensure the images never appear online in the first place.
One source said: "These are huge global companies at the cutting edge of technology. They should direct their technical expertise – coding and algorithms – to preventing the problem at source.One source said: "These are huge global companies at the cutting edge of technology. They should direct their technical expertise – coding and algorithms – to preventing the problem at source.
"Companies have acted blind towards the systemic problem of child abuse images. If they are allowed to act as though they are blind, then they do not have to take responsibility. They must be made to acknowledge the extent of the problem and take responsibility.""Companies have acted blind towards the systemic problem of child abuse images. If they are allowed to act as though they are blind, then they do not have to take responsibility. They must be made to acknowledge the extent of the problem and take responsibility."
Miller believes internet providers have shown there is room to act because they have made a series of commitments in the runup to the summit. Google has pledged £4m towards addressing the problem while TalkTalk and BT have promised splash pages which will pop up with a warning about pornographic content.Miller believes internet providers have shown there is room to act because they have made a series of commitments in the runup to the summit. Google has pledged £4m towards addressing the problem while TalkTalk and BT have promised splash pages which will pop up with a warning about pornographic content.
Google has said it will donate to the Cambridge-based Internet Watch Foundation, a charity which collates warnings about illegal sites and has a team of analysts who have been under increasing pressure as the number of reports they receive has risen.Google has said it will donate to the Cambridge-based Internet Watch Foundation, a charity which collates warnings about illegal sites and has a team of analysts who have been under increasing pressure as the number of reports they receive has risen.
One ISP, Virgin Media, will also call for rival companies to stop charging the police-run Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop) for processing data requests about individuals believed to have accessed illegal abuse sites.One ISP, Virgin Media, will also call for rival companies to stop charging the police-run Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (Ceop) for processing data requests about individuals believed to have accessed illegal abuse sites.
Web firms are privately sceptical that the 90-minute meeting will deliver a silver-bullet solution for the propagation of explicit content, but they are united in the belief that the charities responsible for policing such material should be better funded.Web firms are privately sceptical that the 90-minute meeting will deliver a silver-bullet solution for the propagation of explicit content, but they are united in the belief that the charities responsible for policing such material should be better funded.
"There is no simple technical fix to this problem and money alone cannot solve it either. If it could, it would have been done years ago," said one internet executive."There is no simple technical fix to this problem and money alone cannot solve it either. If it could, it would have been done years ago," said one internet executive.
The culture secretary also wants to do more to ensure parents can protect children by blocking access to legal pornography. Writing in the Mail on Sunday at the weekend, she said a code of practice on parental controls had been drawn up with the major internet providers.The culture secretary also wants to do more to ensure parents can protect children by blocking access to legal pornography. Writing in the Mail on Sunday at the weekend, she said a code of practice on parental controls had been drawn up with the major internet providers.
Miller and ministerial colleague Ed Vaizey will meet Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Vodafone, O2, EE and Three at the summit.Miller and ministerial colleague Ed Vaizey will meet Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Vodafone, O2, EE and Three at the summit.
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