Report: 3 ISPs will block child porn

NEW YORK, June 10 (UPI) -- Three Internet service providers have reached agreement with New York officials to ban access to Web sites featuring child pornography, The New York Times said.

Verizon Communications Inc., Sprint and Time Warner Cable Inc. are entering into what the newspaper called a groundbreaking agreement with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to block access to Internet bulletin boards and Web sites nationwide that disseminate child pornography.

The agreement, which was set to be made public Tuesday, calls for the companies to close off access to newsgroups on one of the longest-running child porn sites, Usenet, and will block access to Web sites that deal in child pornography.

There has been reluctance in the Internet industry to take such steps, as ISPs argued that they could not take responsibility for online content, since the Internet is decentralized and difficult to monitor, the newspaper said.

The agreements with New York will affect online customers nationwide. Verizon and Time Warner Cable provide Internet service to an estimated 16 million customers between them, the Times said.

Cuomo said his office is in talks with other service providers as well.