The Houses of Parliament network blocked 24,473 porn website access attempts in 5 months

pulse

January 8, 2018 11:06 AM

The network is used by MPs, peers, and staff.

The Houses of Parliament may look prim and proper but what goes on inside isn't always completely innocent.

A freedom of information (FOI) request filed by Press Association and reported by The Guardian found that there were 24,473 attempts to access pornographic websites from computers and other devices in the Houses of Parliament between June and October last year. That works out at an average of about 160 attempts a day.

The internet network in the Houses of Parliament is used by MPs, peers, and staff. It automatically blocks access to pornographic sites but that didn't stop people trying.

A parliamentary spokesman reportedly told Press Association: "All pornographic websites are blocked by parliament's computer network. The vast majority of attempts to access them are not deliberate. The data shows requests to access websites, not visits to them.

"There are 8,500 computers on the parliamentary network, which are used by MPs, peers, their staff and staff of both Houses. This data also covers personal devices used when logged on to parliament’s guest wifi."

September was the most popular month for pornographic website requests, with 9,467 requests from both the Houses of Lords and Commons that month.

The figures come after Prime Minister Theresa May sacked Damian Green, Minister for the Cabinet Office and one of her closest allies, for giving "inaccurate and misleading" statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.

pulse