Britain is to become a world leader in internet censorship, instituting ‘Chinese-style’ internet filters to block pornography, unless websites agree to check the identities of all visitors – risking creating a database of British porn viewers. 
Sold to the public on the pretence of protecting children from being able, either intentionally or accidentally, to view pornography on-line, sexual websites will soon be required to know exactly who is viewing them. By checking identities through government databases such as local government or the Royal Mail, or though third parties such as banks or mobile phone operators, the government hopes to force companies to assume a child protection role.
Although the system being administered by the Digital Policy is designed to keep the identities of those accessing adult material secret, privacy campaigners have said the databases will inevitably be fallible, and could allow the details of individuals, and what they view, to fall into the hands of third parties.
