The news that one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies has taken a stand against internet pornography has been welcomed by Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín.
US giant Comcast cut ties with MindGeek earlier this month, the parent company behind the world’s largest pornography website, Pornhub.
Comcast announced that they have decided to drop all MindGeek content from their cable systems, following in the footsteps of other major organisations such as PayPal and Mastercard.
The Meath-West TD welcomed the news, saying it has been an issue that has “concerned” Aontú significantly over the past couple of years, “the access that many children have to hardcore pornography in this country”.
“Material which would have been illegal a generation ago is now fully accessible to children as young as ten years old,” Mr Tóibín said, continuing, “We know that many children are accessing this type of material, and we know also that this type of material has a significant influence on their behaviour in the future.”
Mr Tóibín highlighted the negative effect exposure to pornography can have on children’s “understanding of relationships, sexuality and their understanding of the rights and wrongs of violence”.
“We have ourselves created a bill which would make it illegal for these types of companies to supply hardcore pornography to children. That bill is in the Dáil at the moment, we’re hoping to be able to proceed with it,” Mr Tóibín said.
He added they’re “just absolutely flabbergasted” that “Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Greens themselves haven’t taken the initiative to implement such a bill given the effects this is having on society”.