Petition

**Mickha** · 29-03-2008

Post on forums for Petition.

I have set up a petition requesting that the government encrypt all British Digital television channels, both satellite and terrestrial.

_http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Encrypt/

The main reason for this is to help protect young children from viewing offensive and inappropriate material in television programmes and advertisements.

With the proliferation of channels, and adult oriented shows, like Soap Operas, being shown on numerous channels and at various times, even during the weekend, it is becoming almost impossible for parents to protect their children from viewing unsavoury material.

Hopefully the encryption of the digital channels will help parents to monitor their children’s viewing.

It should not affect any adults viewing options but will give parents a greater amount of control over what their children view.

It should not cost any Television Licence payer any extra money and could provide viewers with more choice following the 2012 Analogue switch off.

The technology is already in place to allow this, and now that we are going digital parents should be given the option to protect their children from adult programming, and adverts, currently being shown every day on all British digital television channels.

With great improvements in technology children will soon be able to view television on hand held computers and even mobile telephones.

This could also have other advantages, and should provide viewers with greater options and flexibility in what they view and how they pay for television in future.

Following the Analogue switch off in 2012 viewers should be given the choice if they wish to continue to finance the BBC.

Viewers will have the option of choosing which television channels they wish to pay for, and can add/remove channels with a telephone call, using their computer or interactively using the new digital technology.

There will be no more need for Television licence detector vans as if you do not pay you can not view the channels.

I would be very grateful if UK members, who agree with this proposal, can please sign my petition and publicise it on other forums, chat rooms, and anywhere else you can think of.

**irart** · 29-03-2008

Could you explain how encrypting all channels is going to help you, or anyone else, control what their children watch? Surely it is up to parents to oversee their children's viewing. Most TV's have a parental control option these days.

If your petition is to try and do away with the BBC licence fee, then shame on you. While not perfect, the BBC produces some of the best television in the world - and advert free. Long may it continue!

**Robbo** · 29-03-2008

I think it is a bad idea, and unnecessary. Parents should supervise their children.

**Topper** · 29-03-2008

I see nothing wrong with the existing setup for the BBC but would like to see the salaries of the top guys and the top artists subtantially reduced . I do however totally agree that parents should supervise their children more, unfortunately there have been a number of cases recently where lack of supervision and the fundamental basics of right and wrong have not been instilled in their offspring and this has resulted in the murder of innocent people by teenage children.

**Mickha** · 29-03-2008

New televisions and DVD recorders have built in Digital tuners, including televisions in childrens bedrooms.
Members of satellite forums know how easy it is to overide any PIN numbers or parental controls built into digital equipment, simply by updating or reflashing the firmware, something some children can do better then some parents.
Television companies are now broadcasting programmes that I personally deem unsuitable for children, especially Soap Operas on Sunday mornings, and quite a few programmes on channel 4.
Encryption will in no way affect adults right to view these programmes, or for them to allow their children to view them, if that is their choice, but will allow parents the option to choose, especially after 2012, which is how long it will probably take to get this acted upon.
This petition is merely to provide parents the choice of what their children view, not television companies.

**Topper** · 29-03-2008

Don't allow your kids to have TV's and computers in their bedrooms, bedrooms are for sleeping in!

**PaulR** · 30-03-2008

I had to have a quick look at the calendar to mke sure it wasn't April 1st already.

Sorry but I completely disagree with encryption. I don't see how it will control what you want and all it will do is put money into the pockets of whoever hosts the encryption package - which in the UK would mean Rupert Murdoch.

**Mickha** · 30-03-2008

Murdoch controls Sky, and surely gets money already from any channel using Sky's satellites, but as for digital terrestrial they can use any encryption standard they choose without paying Murdoch.
The technology is available for parents to have the choice of what their children view and not arbitrary watchdogs, who all seem to have differing views.
For example today there was a family film, on ITV, Overboard, and I'm betting it was censored, as it has been when previously show, because Goldie Hawn wears a skimpy bathing suit and shows a little backside, but strangely adverts are shown featuring naked men which have been shown on a Sunday morning, so who is right in the censorship battle?
Equally we have soap operas, with adult topics, being shown over the weekend, with scenes unsuitable for children to view, yet comedies like Just Shoot Me, and shows like Minder are heavily censored.
I want these channels encrypted so parents have the choice of what is suitable not these different watchdogs.
I would also like adults to have the choice to view uncensored comedies, films and old television shows, which is only going to happen if these channels are encrypted.

**jimbo** · 30-03-2008

It's all very well saying parents should supervise their children but in many cases it doesn't seem easy these days. No problem in a stable environment such as mine and some years ago when my children were younger. Nowdays, unfortunately, there are so many single parents and dysfunctional families that it's a lot easier to just let the kids watch the TV to get some peace. I think bringing up kids these days is very hard.

I'm not saying ok encrypt the channels but I think saying it's down to the parents is too dismissive.

I don't know the answer though.

**Topper** · 30-03-2008

It is never easy being a parent single or otherwise but that doesn't mean you throw away the responsibility of your kids and hide behind an encryption system

edit

Indeed all the time we hear complaints about big brother this is just another example of someone else deciding what you can and cannot watch

**koansrc** · 30-03-2008

Not sure about this. Not even the tech details. But if the purpose is to protect the young ones then I think it's the wrong direction. Our efforts should be to better the world around us ( big words I know ) and not just try to filter out what's not appropriate. I too find much TV offending, also most of the internet, video games on PSP and gameboy and the likes are not suitable for kids, even adverts on the radio are getting bad! Should we just autofilter it all out or "try" and do something about it ?
There again if encryption means 2D will become extint, I'll sign for it ..

**koansrc** · 30-03-2008

Originally Posted by Topper

Indeed all the time we hear complaints about big brother this is just another example of someone else deciding what you can and cannot watch

Most societies must unfortunately believe a big brother exists. Perhaps a religious big brother ( ie a god who sees all), a political system or a hi-tech police state etc. and to make my point think of the internet. Big brother is not so obvious there and so it's logical to assume that in the case of the internet someone else is *not* deciding what we can and can't see and read. The end result of all this freedom ? Some silly percent of the internet is porn. 90% ?

**Channel Hopper** · 30-03-2008

No way Mickha

Regardless of the potential impact of a child seeing a scene that might be oriented towards an adult, no parental control is going to intercept just those particular scenes.

Giving any company a blanket licence to encrypt is what has given the whole industry a rotten commercial feel about it.

FTV my a*se.

**andyw37** · 31-03-2008

I am all for encryption. Not because of the issue of children watching, as said above it is down to the parent to control their offspring and tvs should not be in bedrooms.

What disgusts me is that the rest of Europe can watch UK TV in the clear, a service that us brits are directly and undirectly paying for. Come on!, at least encrypt the BBC & ITVs.OK that wont stop people watching but at least it is disruption and also may even increase licence revenue.

**Robbo** · 31-03-2008

Originally Posted by andyw37

Come on!, at least encrypt the BBC & ITVs.OK that wont stop people watching but at least it is disruption and also may even increase licence revenue.

Let's not.

FTA TV is good, it means we can also watch TV from all over Europe and beyond without paying. Encrypting ITV and BBC is a step backwards. Only UK residents can have a UK TV licence anyway.

**rolfw** · 31-03-2008

Not too concerned whether a small percentage of Europeans watch our TV channels for free, as we are similarly able to watch many European channels without encryption. The truth of the matter is that I have little interest in watching their terrestrial channels and I would guess that the average French, German or Italian viewer would feel similarly about ITV or BBC.

The only thing that encryption fosters, is a healthy business for those dealing in the Free To View cards and receivers and the sooner Channel 4 joins the BBC and ITV the better in my opinion.

Reference the encryption of UK terrestrial transmissions, even if it were possible without putting back the digital changeover by a couple of years, I can't see it happening and would not want it to happen.

**supapete** · 31-03-2008

As soon as kids stop being in charge of everything, encryption would be superfluous. Not to mention endless legislation that gets kids off the hook and everyone else into trouble for their activities or trying to stop them. There's much remedial work to be done, I fear, before we try to protect the little sweathearts from bad language, adverts in bad taste, pornography, violence and downright shabby programs. Have you noticed how more and more child and teenage bad behaviour has become commonplace in scripts of all types? If channel encryption would help stop my cars getting attention to their paintwork, wing mirrors and door handles and the street outside my house became peaceful then bring it on.

**Topper** · 31-03-2008

Who would pay for the licenses and running costs for this encryption system?.... yes you guessed it little ol you and me because for sure the Beeb would not carry the cost, they would simply up the fees for the TV license......

**Mickha** · 31-03-2008

I can't see it costing that much, and the initial cost could be paid by the government, then if S*y do put some of their channels on the terrestrial digital platform they would have to pay to broadcast.
It would benefit S*y as people would already have the means to subscribe and could add the extra channels with a phone call or using the internet.
Personally I dislike S*y and will never subscribe but I have nothing against people who want to view their channels.

**RedDevil_UK** · 01-04-2008

Sorry Mickha i disagree also

if parents care about what children watch there are already measures they can take.
for instance...

xbox360 menu option where the parents can put in a password and select what can be played...
my sons xbox360 wont play any DVD movie or xbox game with a rating over 12 without me putting in a password, he cant use xbox live (online) without my consent either.
sky+ has any channels thats unsuitable blocked... needing my pin

his PC has cybernanny installed and the router is set so his computer only receives an internet connection at certain times.

so in short, the job of bringing up my kids is down to me.... not the BBC or ITV

**Mickha** · 01-04-2008

That works for the latest technology and parents who can use it but what about older terrestrial digital receivers, and can your son watch Hollyoaks broadcast on digital and analogue on a Sunday morning, with adult themes, and Eastenders on the BBC.
Do you have time to check all the programmes being broadcast and decide if he is mature enough to view them?
I was baby sitting my young nieces, on a Sunday morning, at my Sisters house, and during the short time I was preparing something for them to eat they had switched the television on and were watching Hollyoaks and an adult story line.
I would just like a way of letting adults freely view uncensored films and television programmes but provide an easy method that parents can protect their children.
By the way RedDevil_UK how old is your son and how long will it be before he learns to overide the security measures

I have a friend who's 11 year old son can build computers and knows how to re-flash firmware to overide any security measures, his dad taught him about computers but he quickly learned elsewhere how to overide parental controls.

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