So what is the problem with internet pornography? It’s that too many parents (and by proxy MPs) think the solution is to regulate the internet, when the answer is to regulate the children – or better still the parents. I write this as a parent with children of both sexes. Frankly, I’m amazed by the tales of parents who let their children have TVs or computers in their bedroom. First of all, it’s like telling them not to socialise with you; and it’s by socialisation that we work out what we do and don’t accept as sensual, and sexual, and pornographic (and where the line lies). Watching TV together means you can discuss what you’re watching. Having computers in shared spaces (effectively banning solitary use), using the filtering systems that they have built in – these are solutions that work. They don’t need legislation; they don’t need complicated filters that will be routed around in a flash (try a search on “VPN filter evade”); they just need to be part of the family. You can’t turn off the internet, nor make its denizens respectable (ask Louise Mensch). You can, however, turn off the computer, or explain respectability to your child.

via Worried about online porn? Don’t regulate the net – regulate your kids | Charles Arthur | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk.