Leading Mobile Company Blocks Gay News Sites for ‘Adult Content’

[Ian David]

Leading Mobile Company Blocks Gay News Sites for ‘Adult Content’
UK Gay News and Gay City News blocked to broadband and mobile surfers
Article Date: 01/07/2008

The world’s leading mobile telecommunications company considers UK Gay News and at least one other gay news website to have “adult” content and is barring access, it has emerged.

UK-based Vodafone, which has interests around the world including a joint venture, Verizon Wireless, in America, puts a block on access to this site—and on the highly-reputable Gay City News in New York—deeming the content to be “adult” in nature.

The matter came to light when a reader tried to access this site from a Vodafone broadband connection... and access through a mobile (cell) phone.

A spokesperson at the Vodafone press office in Newbury explained this afternoon that with a lot of children now using mobile telephone technology to access the internet, web sites had “to meet a content standard”. Customers, she explained, could “opt-in” to access adult websites.

More:
http://www.gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=66&id=17716

[qb]

1. Well... you can opt in.

I don't know about the mentioned sites, but based on some of the ads I've seen at gay news sites I wouldn't want my kids surfing there.

[orion9941]

2. True

It's a dual edged sword. To restrict access is just not right at all on many many levels.

However, many gay sites, including ones I go to are all too often swamped with ads of almost naked men in provocative poses. Not that that sort of thing personally bothers me, but if I had children I wouldn't want them seeing these overly sexed ads.

Ads like that are a short coming of the gay community. Everyone knows sexs sells. It just seems like its more so the case on gay sites.

[Der Blaue Engel]

3. Hetero-focused advertising has been using almost naked women in provocative poses

for decades. People somehow seem less concerned about a child seeing a female presented as a male sex object than about a child possibly seeing that some men view each other in sexual terms.

There is a disturbing double-standard about this. Either both of these types of ads are "adult" material or neither of them are.

[orion9941]

4. I agree

There is a double standard in our media.

Heck, violence is just fine with media standards but as soon as there is any sex then its a whole 'nother ball wax.

Truthfully I feel this issue goes deeper than a straight/gay view on sex.

[qb]

5. I tried to look up these sites at work...

gaywired was blocked due to "Provocative Attire"
UK Gay News was blocked due to "Nudity"
I got through to Gay City News and found nothing objectionable.
I agree there is a terrible double-standard with gay and hetero-themed content.
Besides sexual content I am concerned with my kids seeing images of women with "perfect" Barbie-doll bodies and painted faces. That sends the wrong message.