More than 24,000 attempts to access pornographic websites were made in the UK’s Houses of Parliament between June and October 2017, according to newly revealed data. Just how much of a porn problem does the government have? It’s time to find out.
Through a freedom on information (FOI) request filed by the Press Association, it was revealed that around 160 attempts per day to access porn sites were made on computers and other devices connected to the parliamentary network, which is used by MP, staff and peers.
The amount of requests made to porn sites spiked in September 2017, when 9467 were made from both the House of Lords and House of Commons.
Related: CES 2018
Most porn websites are reportedly blocked by Parliament’s internal network, so people working at the Houses of Parliament are not likely to have managed to access any porn.
A parliamentary spokesman told The Guardian that such FOI data also covers people using personal devices when logged into Parliament’s guest Wi-Fi, which would suggest that Parliament’s staff isn’t solely comprised of smut aficionados, however amusing the thought is.
There’s also a chance that Parliamentary porn fans may simply be accessing porn websites using their cellular connections instead, particularly as some mobile data packages can be pretty generous and offer decent 4G speeds.
“All pornographic websites are blocked by parliament’s computer network. The vast majority of attempts to access them are not deliberate. The data shows requests to access websites, not visits to them,” the spokesman said.
It’s also worth noting that the number of people attempting to access pornography on Parliament’s network has decreased over recent years; for example in 2015 some 213,000 attempts were made to access pornographic websites.
While watching porn isn’t illegal, it’s a hot topic political issue at the moment, following the sacking of Damian Green for allegedly accessing pornography on his computer then making “misleading” statements about his actions.
With the likes of massive sites like PornHub attempting to make accessing and viewing pornography less taboo, there’s an argument as to whether accessing such sites on a personal device while at work is poor form.
However, we doubt many people would be too happy to hear that their MP is trying browsing all manner of grot rather than concentrate on meeting the desires of their constituents while in the Houses of Parliament.
Should Parliament staff be punished for attempting to access porn, or is it not a big deal? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or tweet @TrustedReviews.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
