A Department for Education official in the UK has reportedly asked major Internet service providers (ISPs) to rebrand anti-porn filters ‘without changing’ service.
Citing a leaked Government letter, the Telegraph reported that Iceland could become the first Western democracy to attempt censorship of the internet under radical proposals to block online pornography.
The news agency reports that the letter given to the BBC by industry insiders tells the internet companies: "Without changing what you will be offering, the Prime Minister would like you to be able to refer to your solutions as ‘default-on’.
"Would you be able to commit to include ‘default-on’ or similar language, both in the set-up screen and public messaging?"
UK Shadow Culture Minister Helen Goodman was quoted by the Telegraph saying that it was "disgraceful" and described it as a "deliberate attempt to mislead parents."
She commented: "It is disgraceful that instead of trying to get the ISPs to switch their filters to a default-on position, they are trying to persuade them to just say they are doing it."
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the UK is planning to introduce a code of conduct, which would ban viewing of pornography through WiFi at public areas such as cafes and railway stations to prevent viewing by kids.
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Last year, UK Prime Minister David Cameron proposed plans to help parents protect their children online by adapting their computer settings to block internet pornography, violence and other unsuitable websites.
