Financial Times, 6 May 1996 Internet provider to launch censorship By James Mackintosh in London Unipalm Pipex, the biggest provider of Internet access to British businesses, has acceded to government calls for voluntary censorship in a significant boost to ministerial attempts to restrict access to electronic pornography. Pipex is to block much of the worst child pornography from subscribers and will also be supplying new software to allow companies to limit the parts of the Internet - the international computer network - accessible by staff. The decision is likely to have far-reaching implications for the Internet in Britain because Mr Peter Dawe, managing director of Pipex, is also political officer of the Internet Service Providers' Association, the body negotiating a voluntary code of conduct with the government. Until recently Mr Dawe was opposed to any form of censorship. But he has now decided to stop supplying discussion groups - which are devoted to pictures of young children. The software package will allow subscribers to block parts of the Internet considered unsuitable, making them accessible only with a password. As a result, parents will be able to control which parts of the Internet are available to children, and managers to ensure staff are not breaking the law. However, Mr Dawe emphasised the impossibility of completely blocking offensive parts of the Internet. Pipex - the UK arm of UUNet of the US - does not expect a backlash from users over the censorship. Mr Dawe said he was sure Pipex's corporate users "would be horrified" at what is available on the Internet. He said that if pornographic pictures were found on office computers, companies could be open to prosecution. Cambridge-based Pipex, which claims more than 60 per cent of the UK's corporate Internet users, selected which news groups to block after seeking the advice of police at Scotland Yard in London. The Obscene Publications Squad confirmed that child pornography on the Internet had already become a serious problem. "The majority of the people we deal with have used news groups," he said. Child pornography had become available to people who a few years ago would not have known how to find it. The approach Pipex has taken fits with the government's preferred option of a voluntary code of conduct for Internet providers, leaving censorship matters to users. ---