YORK, England — Adopting a government-backed mandate, the U.K. city of York is claiming to be the first in the world to block porn from public Wi-Fi.
Operation “Friendly WiFi” reportedly stems from a move to keep porn away from minors by bocking all adult content on the city’s free servers.
The plan was hatched about a year ago by the Registered Digital Institute (RDI) after prime minister David Cameron’s 2013 NSPCC speech on online safety.
Baroness Joanna Shields, the government’s new Minister for Internet Safety and Security told The Mirror, “The Friendly Wifi Scheme has been a great success and is a further example of how the U.K. is leading the way on making the Internet safer for young people.
“Parents can take comfort from the knowledge their children are protected from harmful content in these zones, and wherever they see the Friendly Wifi logo.”
Retailers Tesco, Starbucks and Samsung display the sign in their stores.
The cities of Newcastle and Carlisle are expected to adopt the plan soon.
Major chains in the U.S. and Canada are also considering the plan, according to the report.
