Filter blocks Danes from accessing child pornography

Some 1,200 Internet users in Denmark try to access child pornography websites each day, but a month-old blocking filter, so far only available to customers of telecommunications group TDC, has has thwarted most attempts.

Danish police, Internet service provider TDC and child advocacy group Save the Children Denmark have developed the filter to block access to child pornography sites.

Similar filters are in use in neighbouring Norway and Sweden. Norway introduced the system a year ago, Sweden put its system online in May.

When a customer attempts to access a website known to contain child pornography, a blocking site automatically pops up, containing information about the filter, as well as a link to the police.

About two thirds of the Danish surfers who are blocked give up quickly, while a third spend more than five minutes trying to access the material before giving up, police said.

Danish police have listed some 1,300 sites containing illegal child pornography. All are based outside Denmark. (dpa)