Stop Messing with my Internet!

Is “accessing” a site such as the Pirate Bay something that you do?

Several mobile broadband Providers such as BT, under a voluntary code of practice are blocking sites such as The Pirate Bay. The reason for the block is, I stress! Not related to copyright infringement, but rather due to the fact that there are “adult” torrents hosted on the site.

Users are disallowed access to the largest BitTorrent tracker on the internet, rather a slightly annoying “content blocked” message. Bearing in mind this proactive self regulation scheme through which the pay as you go mobile broadband service provider hopes will keep children safe from the “horrors” of the internet.

The “code of practice” applies literally to all users of the service and filters content appropriately; pornography, hacking tutorials, and file sharing related sites are all blocked under the code. Now in my mind sites such as TPB, do not actually host any of the files, they are merely search engines for downloading legal/illegal files.

The reason why the code is specifically aimed at mobile providers is the increase in mobile devices youngsters have access to without oversight. All sites that have an ‘over 18′ status are included and all access to these sites is simply blocked. Customers who want to lift the block to one of the sites may do so by contacting customer service.

This so called code of practice does in my mind become slightly invalid when your kid comes up to you whining about how he cant access this “new (all my mates have it) site. He will then proceed to moan until the block is lifted.