Want to watch porn? In one country, you’ll have to call and ask for it

People who watch pornography normally don’t want anyone else to know about it. But in Israel, users may soon have to call their internet company to as for access to adult sites.

This week Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation unanimously approved a bill that would mandate internet providers to censor porn. People would be able to opt out of the block, but only by notifying their service provider by phone, in writing or online.

The bill is aimed at curbing underage access to explicit content, which proponents argue has become rampant in Israel.

“As parliamentarians and public leaders, we must put up road signs that say ‘this is how we think society should behave,'” said Jewish Home MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli. “The average age that children are exposed to pornographic sites is 8. I don’t think it is right for us to leave things like that.”

But Moalem acknowledged that people have the right to look at whatever they want online.

“This isn’t Iran,” she told Channel 2 News.

That country is known for its strict censorship of media content, particularly anything originating in the West. Creating porn films is punishable with the death penalty under Islamic laws. A bill was passed in 2007 that allowed execution for anyone found producing such content.

Britain has a similar law to the one proposed in Israel, where internet users must request the removal of family-friendly filters that block porn.

The Israeli bill heads to the Knesset, where the full parliament will consider it.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Want to watch porn? In one country, you’ll have to call and ask for it."