ALBANY, N.Y. — Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block access to Internet bulletin boards and websites nationwide that disseminate child pornography.
The move is part of a groundbreaking agreement with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that will be formally announced today as a significant step by leading companies to curtail access to child pornography. Many in the industry have previously resisted similar efforts, saying they could not be responsible for content online, given the decentralized and largely unmonitored nature of the Internet.
The agreements will affect customers throughout the country. Verizon and Time Warner Cable are two of the nation’s five largest service providers, with roughly 16 million customers between them.
Negotiations are continuing with other service providers, Cuomo said.
