Telecom has decided to join the Government's Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System in which the system would filter the content of the service providers who have decided to participate in the program. The system would block access to any websites, which are known to contain data regarding child abuse.

The spokesman for a sexual abuse prevention agency, ECPAT Child Alert, Alan Bell while talking about the decision of Telecom hoped that the move would encourage other ISPs to participate in the initiative. The Chief Executive Officer for Telecom Retail, Mr. Alan Gourdie has announced that the Company was dedicated to help the Department of Internal Affairs in resolving the problem of child abuse and was ready to play its part in being socially responsible.

Mr. Bell expressed concern about the increased number of people accessing child porn, as a trial conducted by the DIA two years ago found there were one million hits by New Zealanders on pictures of children below the age of 5. He added that though there was no possible way to reduce the demand for child porn but the government could definitely curb the practice through the measure.

The system was introduced to ISPs earlier this year in March and is being currently overlooked by an Independent Reference Group. The system has been introduced after a trial was conducted on it for a period of two-years.