Tiscali - UK's Largest ISP, Plugs Porn For Cash!

4WebHelp Addict Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 1060

How low can they go?

From The Register :

Tiscali UK is plugging adult entertainment in a bid to help generate some much-needed revenue.

Recently, the ISP has been running late at night a series of X-rated ads on its portal. But the move has proved unpopular with some Tiscali punters who claim this is simply not on.

One reader told The Register that requests for the ads to be removed have been ignored.

He said: "They are shown almost continually every evening...they are at the top of the screen right in front of your eyes and can not be avoided,

"If you click on some of them your browser is filled with explicit pornographic images that can be very difficult to get rid of...as soon as you shut one down another opens," he said.

No one from Tiscali UK was available for comment at the time of writing. But in a statement the ISP defended its action claiming that it had "made a decision to include selected adult entertainment as a balance between customer demand and commercial reality".

It went on: "We are aware that certain content is sensitive to a particular sector and, as a result, we have placed appropriate warnings along the way, as well as introducing a viewing watershed of between 11pm and 5am.

"At the same time, however, we are also aware that there are a number of people who choose to view such material and they do so through their own choice," it said.

Tiscali is not the only outfit to be tempted by this potentially lucrative revenue stream. Last year German ISP T-Online considered providing porn in a bid to boost its revenues.

In January mobile phone operator, Virgin Mobile, created a new group specifically to develop adult-orientated services for its punters.

And last year lastminute.com started offering adult items on its site too.

May also want to check out this thread on their forums :

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/forums/showthread...&threadid=11054

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

I really can't believe it, especially in a place like England! Maybe in the US though... Smile