In a world of smartphones, tablets and untold other ways of accessing information on the go freely and easily, you would imagine that I could find out about London Pride 2013 really simply or check the latest LGBT news whenever I would like. You would be wrong. I recently tried to access the official London Pride website the other using my iPad and was confronted with something that, although partially pink, certainly was not London Pride. Instead, I was redirected to a ‘Content Lock Page’.
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| The screen I was presented with when trying to access the London Pride Website |
I did a little more looking around and found other websites blocked too… Gay Star News being one of them. This is a news bulletin website, publishing articles regarding real-life events relating to the LGBT community. Again, I have no idea why a website that is essentially providing a very similar service to every other news website but with specific attention to our community is being blocked and deemed unsuitable.
In all honesty, I actually find it very disrespectful and actually downright irresponsible. Now the usual way in which these content locks work is that certain keywords are flagged as potential problems. Just like parental controls or content filters, words like porn, sex and possibly even drugs could trigger a safety mechanism that would redirect a child to a type of holding page, telling them that they must be 18 (and prove it) to continue and so on. The system is designed to filter out any of the websites that contain those words and therefore the inappropriate content. I actually applaud the systems because in the world we live, there are certain protections needed for children who are first exploring the web.
Now, I am not entirely sure which words and the like that T-Mobile has used as part of their keywords or even if they employ this exact type of system, but it is clear that a number of LGBT websites have been blocked. In fact, after some research and digging around, I found that this was actually reported by a number of LGBT News sources way back in Sept 2010! Ironically, one of the websites that were actually affected reported the story. Take the jump HERE to read the article (if you are allowed of course). Many other sites from gay travel to gay culture were blocked and therefore deemed inappropriate.
Like I say, I actually find this disrespectful that somehow, LGBT websites have been pushed under a broad umbrella with porn et al. One could be forgiven for thinking that the implication here is that T-Mobile feels being Gay or even trying to access information about the LGBT community is inappropriate. I am, of course, not saying that T-Mobile as a company is in any way homophobic, but I am pointing out just what their ‘content block’ suggests.
Furthermore, it is simply irresponsible. How many youngsters out there who are just hitting that age where they have questions, concerns and curiosities about their sexuality? How many of those teens feel they have no one to talk to and so, at least in the very initial stages, will look to the internet in secret to take their first steps in understanding their sexuality? With so many of these youngsters owning smartphones and tablets it is highly likely that they will be confronted with a content lock and the subsequent impression that what they are doing is somehow wrong. If they are under 18 they certainly are not going to have a credit card to prove their age but quite frankly, they shouldn’t have to! What if they aren’t even the bill payer and actually it is their parent that has been kind enough to get them a contract? In that case, they would need to go to their parent in order to get the relevant access. Bear in mind I am talking about those people who are still in the very fragile and nerve-wracking position at the initial stages of coming out. The chances are that they are going to be far from comfortable with their parents knowing just yet. Instead, they are made to feel like they are doing something wrong.
Thinking back on it, I remember when I was first dealing with my own ‘coming out’ and I was using the internet to find out more about what I was feeling. I also remember being absolutely terrified that my parents would find out I was looking at LGBT related websites and chat rooms. I had a fear that it would show up like an itemised phone bill or that they might look at the internet history. At the time I wasn’t ready for them to know because I wasn’t entirely comfortable myself. I certainly was not in a state of mind where I could then ask my parents to grant me access to look at certain websites - that were neither offensive nor inappropriate, I hasten to add. Thankfully, I was reassured by a third party that things like ‘which chat room I used’ would not show up on the bills and so on.
What is even more alarming is that the controls for heterosexual pornography are far weaker! Need I say more about the implications this presents.
Again, I am in no way questioning the need for content locks, particularly when it comes to children and the internet. However, should LGBT websites be deemed as inappropriate? Of course, they shouldn’t. It is offensive that it has been considered so. Considering that it was actually reported by the press almost two years ago, why has nothing been done about it? As far as I am concerned, mobile phone companies and internet service providers have a social responsibility to not only protect children from inappropriate material but to also ensure that there is a freedom to access material that can, at some times, prove to be a vital lifeline. I have got to wonder, could this very blog be blocked?
Quite simply… get it sorted T-Mobile!
Like I say, I actually find this disrespectful that somehow, LGBT websites have been pushed under a broad umbrella with porn et al. One could be forgiven for thinking that the implication here is that T-Mobile feels being Gay or even trying to access information about the LGBT community is inappropriate. I am, of course, not saying that T-Mobile as a company is in any way homophobic, but I am pointing out just what their ‘content block’ suggests.
Furthermore, it is simply irresponsible. How many youngsters out there who are just hitting that age where they have questions, concerns and curiosities about their sexuality? How many of those teens feel they have no one to talk to and so, at least in the very initial stages, will look to the internet in secret to take their first steps in understanding their sexuality? With so many of these youngsters owning smartphones and tablets it is highly likely that they will be confronted with a content lock and the subsequent impression that what they are doing is somehow wrong. If they are under 18 they certainly are not going to have a credit card to prove their age but quite frankly, they shouldn’t have to! What if they aren’t even the bill payer and actually it is their parent that has been kind enough to get them a contract? In that case, they would need to go to their parent in order to get the relevant access. Bear in mind I am talking about those people who are still in the very fragile and nerve-wracking position at the initial stages of coming out. The chances are that they are going to be far from comfortable with their parents knowing just yet. Instead, they are made to feel like they are doing something wrong.
Thinking back on it, I remember when I was first dealing with my own ‘coming out’ and I was using the internet to find out more about what I was feeling. I also remember being absolutely terrified that my parents would find out I was looking at LGBT related websites and chat rooms. I had a fear that it would show up like an itemised phone bill or that they might look at the internet history. At the time I wasn’t ready for them to know because I wasn’t entirely comfortable myself. I certainly was not in a state of mind where I could then ask my parents to grant me access to look at certain websites - that were neither offensive nor inappropriate, I hasten to add. Thankfully, I was reassured by a third party that things like ‘which chat room I used’ would not show up on the bills and so on.
What is even more alarming is that the controls for heterosexual pornography are far weaker! Need I say more about the implications this presents.
Again, I am in no way questioning the need for content locks, particularly when it comes to children and the internet. However, should LGBT websites be deemed as inappropriate? Of course, they shouldn’t. It is offensive that it has been considered so. Considering that it was actually reported by the press almost two years ago, why has nothing been done about it? As far as I am concerned, mobile phone companies and internet service providers have a social responsibility to not only protect children from inappropriate material but to also ensure that there is a freedom to access material that can, at some times, prove to be a vital lifeline. I have got to wonder, could this very blog be blocked?
Quite simply… get it sorted T-Mobile!
UPDATE- At the time of publication, the content lock on the London Pride website, www.londoncommunitypride.org has been mysteriously lifted. I wonder if that had anything to do with the tweet I made as soon as I came across the content block. The block on Gay Star News still exists.
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