Starbucks to block customers using Wi-Fi to watch porn in US outlets
The coffee chain's decision comes after pressure from internet safety campaigners to filter explicit content.
Friday 30 November 2018 08:47, UK
Starbucks is set to block customers from using its free Wi-Fi to watch pornography in its US outlets.
The coffee chain will roll out a new tool to stop it and the decision comes after pressure from internet safety campaigners to filter the material.
The viewing of porn is already banned in Starbucks stores but now the company will reportedly actively stop access to it via its Wi-Fi network from next year.
Chains such as McDonald's already have content filters set up in their premises.
Starbucks said the viewing of "egregious content" over its stores' Wi-Fi has always violated its policy, but the company now has a way to stop it.
In a statement reported by Buzzfeed News, the coffee giant said: "While it rarely occurs, the use of Starbucks public Wi-Fi to view illegal or egregious content is not, nor has it ever been permitted.
"We have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our US locations in 2019."
Starbucks has declined to give more details on the solution but told Business Insider that it had tested multiple tools, hoping to avoid accidentally blocking unoffensive sites.
The move comes after a petition from Virginia-based internet safety group Enough is Enough attracted more than 26,000 signatures.
The petition claimed public Wi-Fi networks "are attracting paedophiles and sex offenders" and put children at risk.
Earlier this week, Enough Is Enough chief executive Donna Rice Hughes criticised Starbucks for not following through on a commitment it made in 2016 to block explicit websites.
Ms Hughes said: "Starbucks has had a tremendous opportunity to put its best foot forward in protecting its customers from images deemed obscene and illegal under the law.
"But they haven't budged, despite their promise two years ago and despite the fact that they voluntarily filter this same content in the UK."
Free pornographic website YouPorn has reacted to the coffee chain's decision by banning Starbucks products from the company's offices from 2019.