South African Cell Company to Block Kids From Porn

South African cell phone provider Vodacom has told the country's Parliament that it will make porn blocking available to parents who fear their children have been downloading porn too easily and too cheaply on their cell phones.

Chief executive Alan Knott-Craig told Parliament's portfolio committee on communications last week that the parental controls would come online in September, calling it a first step for the entire South African cell phone industry.

Two other South African companies, MTN and Cell C, also addressed the committee on the matter, concurrent to Parliament's consideration of legislation aimed at curbing porn access by minors.

But Knott-Craig told the committee his company made the blocking decision on its own, before any regulatory pressure could be brought to bear, a sentiment echoed by communications spokeswoman Dot Field.

"There are no regulations that can force one to do the right thing," Field told reporters. "We are merely fulfilling our social responsibility."

Neither MTN nor Cell C has announced whether they, too, plan to install similar parental controls to keep kids from cellular porn before regulatory pressure compels them to do it.