offensive content

The internet contains almost everything imaginable, in the form of writing, images, sound and video. And nowadays, mobile phones are an entry point to all the web contains.

Unfortunately, there’s no worldwide ‘gatekeeper’ of the internet, to monitor content and manage people’s access to it. Because of this, anyone can potentially get hold of anything, if they know where to look – including children.

The kinds of abusive, violent and illegal content available are:

Adult content
Sexually explicit images and recordings are widespread on the internet.

Violent content
A recent and unwelcome development is the arrival of graphic videos of political violence, terrorism and conflict from the world’s trouble spots.

Political content
The internet is increasingly used as a forum and recruiting tool for political extremism, both home-grown and imported from abroad.

Dysfunctional content
There are sites catering for almost every known type of ‘dysfunctional behaviour’, from suicide to those who advocate eating disorders, self-harm, bullying and cult activity.

These types of content will always be on the internet. Content filters can protect against a lot of it, but knowing what’s out there and how to avoid it is a necessary part of modern life.

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more on this subject

dealing with offensive content

If you’re concerned about coming across offensive material, or are worried about your children being exposed to it, there are steps you can take.

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how can I block content online

If you’re worried about your family accessing inappropriate content, Orange offers a free online parental control system called McAfee® Privacy Service.

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how do I report potentially criminal content?

If you think you may have encountered an illegal image on the internet, you can report it to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which was formed to minimise the availability of illegal content online, particularly child abuse images.

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offensive content – talking points for children

With children spending more and more time online nowadays, here are some suggestions and advice you might like to share with them.

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where to next?

For more about filters call Orange customer services or visit an Orange store.

For more information on offensive content visit the Orange site.