Bad news for creeps: Starbucks has announced that it will soon block access to porn websites via the company’s Wi-Fi network.
In January, Starbucks will introduce a content blocker that bans access to pornographic sites while using its free in-store Wi-Fi. Viewing porn at Starbucks has long been banned, but there was no mechanism in place to prevent customers from doing so.
Business Insider reports that the company has instituted the filter after pressure from an outside group that advocated for a porn site ban for years. Enough is Enough, a nonprofit dedicated to internet safety for children, launched a petition encouraging Starbucks to ban porn. It received more than 26,000 signatures.
The group wrote in its petition: “Starbucks is keeping the doors wide open for convicted sex offenders and patrons to fly under the radar from law enforcement and use free, public WiFi services to view or distribute graphic or obscene pornography, child pornography (an illegal crime), or engage in sexual predation activity.”
“To ensure the Third Place remains safe and welcoming to all, we have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our U.S. locations in 2019,” a Starbucks spokesman told Business Insider. The company has not elaborated on the content blocker. Starbucks had previously announced it would block porn in 2016 but did not immediately follow through on its promise.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.