Skip to content
Support Us

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock

In a first for Ireland, UPC is to ban access to child sex abuse websites

Users who access child abuse material either mistakenly or deliberately will have their internet access restricted.

Updated 22.45pm

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER UPC is to restrict access to websites containing child sex abuse material,  becoming the first broadband company to do so in Ireland.

Under an agreement between UPC and An Garda Síochana, UPC will restrict access to domains or URLs containing child abuse material based on a list provided by the gardaí.

If a user access child sexual abuse material, either deliberately or mistakenly, their internet access will be restricted and an advisor message will be displayed explaining the reasons why.

Similar restrictions already exist in the UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland, among other countries.

Christina Finn / YouTube

List of websites 

The list of websites that are restricted by UPC are drawn up by the gardaí, with the interim Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan stating that today the number of international websites restricted are in the double digits.

She stated that the number on the list fluctuates and it is going to be constantly updated.

O’Sullivan said discussions are ongoing with other Irish internet service providers. She added that it is just one tool the gardaí are using to tackle this crime.

The Commissioner said today’s initiative is to act as deterrent to those accessing images of child sexual abuse, adding that it took several months for this initiative to be negotiated with UPC.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald described it as a ‘notable achievement’ and congratulated both the gardaí and UPC on the development.

“The close cooperation with law enforcement which was launched today will reduce the amount of child abuse material which will be available on the internet in Ireland,” the Minister said.

She called it a “heinous crime” and said it was important to have international cooperation between internet providers, which she said is extremely important in tackling this crime.

“It will also reinforce the message that the viewing or possession of, or indeed the trading in child abuse material, is simply not acceptable”.

Christina Finn / YouTube

Minister Fitzgerald said she hoped that other companies would follow suit.

‘Inadvertent viewing’ 

She added that research suggests that “inadvertent viewing may precipitate some people to pursue further such illegal material to their long term detriment and to the detriment of society as a whole”.

The minister added that Government are strengthening legislation in this area under the new sexual offences legislation that will be introduced before the end of this Dáil term.

Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC said if someone tries to access websites where child sex abuse material is available a notice will appear on screen stating that the site has been restricted and the advisory message will outline the reasons why. However, he said it does not provide for any transfer of user data to the authorities.

Identity 

“UPC adheres fully to the data protection legislation and does not make any data available to any external parties accept where required to do so by law,” he said, adding, that the identity of a person is not stored when the blocking notice appears.

An Garda Siochana Sign Memorandum of U Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald TD, Garda Commissioner Noirin O Sullivan and CEO of UPC Magnus Ternsjo at the announcemnet that UPC is to immediatley restrict access to domain names containing child sexsual abuse material. Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

“We never control what our customers are watching” as UPC honour the privacy of their customers “in the extreme” said Ternsjö.

He added that it would be wrong for UPC to start acting as law enforcement agency or government stating that they are following the laws.

O’Sullivan said there are occasions where as part of a criminal investigation the gardaí can seek evidence from any service provider for data and there is legislation already in place enabling gardaí to access it.

First published 14.59pm. Additional reporting Christina Finn

Read: ‘God knows’ – Irish priest found guilty of sexually abusing toddler in Chile > 

Read: Child sex abuse survivors far more likely to be disabled, poor and live alone in later life > 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
78 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Stokes
    Favourite Ronan Stokes
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:34 AM

    If the Irish Govt are giving you advice on anything Internet related then you really do have problems.

    94
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Mc Loughlin
    Favourite Dermot Mc Loughlin
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 11:00 AM

    Especially seeing as the same government were still using Windows Xp despite it being discontinued, I think that particular failure cost the taxpayer €3.5 million.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Francie Coffey
    Favourite Francie Coffey
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:19 AM

    “The Government is thinking” – I stopped reading after that silly line.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry Ryan
    Favourite Gerry Ryan
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:40 AM

    No doubt they’ll introduce an Internet tax to pay for it.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Og
    Favourite Seamus Og
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:30 AM

    Just send all your usernames and passwords to the relevant department.

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Del Haven
    Favourite Del Haven
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 9:11 AM

    Don’t they have them already.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Billy Cotter
    Favourite Billy Cotter
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:11 AM

    The government won’t be happy until they have full control of the Internet, way to free for them at the moment.
    All those Facebook videos of guards beating people up and people saying they are sh!t on this site must do the powers that be heads in.

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Glen
    Favourite Glen
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:15 AM

    It’s driving the powers that be nuts that there is something they can’t control.
    The Internet has aided in exposing corruption and tranny. But at the same time has given them a tool for spying and keeping tabs on the public.

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pauliebhoy
    Favourite Pauliebhoy
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:56 AM

    A few lads I know have been caught out cross dressing on the internet….

    26
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Del Haven
    Favourite Del Haven
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 9:11 AM

    Corruption and transsexuality go hand in hand in many governments

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris
    Favourite Chris
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:40 AM

    Should read :

    “The Government Is Thinking Up New Ways To Hack You”

    :)

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alien8
    Favourite Alien8
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 9:24 AM

    You are okay there, government – I’ll control my own information, if you don’t mind.

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sternn
    Favourite Sternn
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 9:11 AM

    The same government who helped setup Irish Water, a company which they gave carte blanche powers to violate every part of the data protection act to track every citizen and all of their personal information in this country, and even after spending €80 million on consultants still ended up sending bills to dead people now want to give us advice on how not to get our data stolen online? Oh the sweet irony.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Roche
    Favourite Paul Roche
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 9:38 AM

    Is €80mn the final Bill?

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Deco James Connolly
    Favourite Deco James Connolly
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 8:51 AM

    The sub text to this article is control , but let’s start small and the government is doing it to protect you .

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al Ca
    Favourite Al Ca
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 4:27 PM

    “It’s a great place for free speech, and so that must be protected, but in a way that is acceptable in the eyes of reasonable people.”

    Now…what other asshat pocket stuffing politician coined the ‘reasonable people’ phrase…….I take it the ‘reasonable people’ are only those who agree with the Government and everyone else are ‘unreasonable people’ even if they are in the majority.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Arclight
    Favourite Sean Arclight
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 2:14 PM

    There appears to be 2 terms missing in this article .. “Snowden” and “encryption security” .. Ignoring Snowden for a moment (people usually do btw) , the degrading of encryption protection from the “Five Eyes” network and their political masters/slaves is a major stumbling block to stopping “hackers” and “other agencies” from attacking electronic networks.
    Encrypted emails services are now illegal in Spain, The UK, China, North Korea and this is gaining ground in many other countries.
    Snowden advised that people have password phrases, otherwise their passwords could be easily hacked in seconds..
    Snowden also talked of the security apparatus being designed for attack and not defence (because of backdoors and encryption busting techniques.
    Point is that if the governments can do it so can any half trained computer technician..
    Using the war on terror to degrade our human rights (ie privacy) is not a good excuse, in fact, it plays into the hands of the terrorists and sends a chilling effect to the rest of the population.
    Google Stasi techniques and consequences in east germany. And then put the surveillance apparatus now in place in the mix. I Hope that we dont have the wrong people get into power.. that might be very scary.
    And lastly .. In an age of such surveillance techniques, If Ireland was invaded it would take an enemy about 1 hour to have a list of all possible AND FUTUREthreats against them (the wonders of technology) and we have no protections..
    Snowden worked for a private company with access to all you phone calls and emails going back years.. And your childrens for that matter..

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Sands
    Favourite Michael Sands
    Report
    Apr 19th 2015, 3:53 PM

    Too late… lol.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds