Canterbury Cathedral puts block on worshippers browsing porn on its wifi

 
Porn block: Canterbury Cathedral's managers took the precaution for its new cafe
Robin de Peyer19 February 2014

Canterbury Cathedral has acted to block worshippers from accessing online pornography on their laptops and mobile devices.

Managers at the cathedral, a world heritage site first established in the sixth century, say they want to deter patrons from visiting “salacious” sites while also offering internet access in their newly-opened café.

Its new public Wifi system therefore includes blocks to stop patrons browsing the less wholesome corners of the internet as they enjoy a cup of tea or slice of cake after their visit.

Christopher Robinson, a spokesman for the cathedral, told the Standard: “It’s really a safeguarding process. What we wanted is to provide free Wifi for members of the public, but we didn’t want salacious or debasing sites being accessed.”

The precaution follows Chester Cathedral being forced to shut down its public Wifi after it was revealed patrons could access hardcore pornography as they enjoyed a cup of tea and a slice of cake in the café after their visit.

System developer Purple Wifi said that as many as 58 per cent of venues offering free Wifi have no filtering programme to stop punters accessing explicit sites.

An investigation by security company AdaptiveMobile last year found one in three restaurants and cafes with public Wifi had no restrictions in place, and one fifth did not block access to adult dating sites which routinely carry explicit images.

The company’s CEO, Gavin Wheeldon, said: People expect free online access at public venues and businesses wherever they are, but the industry has a responsibility to make sure that these venues are aware of legal compliance issues.”

The company said as many as 10 per cent of users try to access blocked content in other venues running the network.

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