A study by the British National Consumer Council found that gaming, dating, and shopping websites are the most popular for children ages 7-16. A quarter of the advertisements on those sites were for adult content, including gambling, dating services, and pornography.
Ed Mayo, the council's chief executive explained: "Children are spending a significant proportion of their time online and they are being exposed to a lot of advertisements they simply do not feel comfortable with. We found everything from invitations to place free bets to soft pornography being shown. We spoke to children who said they felt uncomfortable viewing these ads and something has to be done."
We've taken important and appropriate measures in the real world, and in other forms of media to protect children from uncomfortable, damaging, and inappropriate advertisements - should the Internet be any exception? Will Gardner of Childnet International doesn't think so: "It is vital we keep pace with the online environment, which children increasingly seeing as their 'home', to ensure they are not taken advantage of and are adequately protected."
The Internet should not be reserved for pornographers and those who tolerate them. They must be accountable for their advertisements. The Internet needs mechanisms, like the Internet Zoning Initiative, to encourage and enforce proper accountability.
The CP80 Foundation is pleased to offer free training to individuals who wish to learn more about the Internet, pornography, current laws and the CP80 Internet Channel Initiative.
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