MPs LOVE TO ACCESS PORN
But Green goes on defensive
POLITICIANS and their staff tried to access porn more than 113,208 times last year.
The revelation comes as MP Damian Green, inset, again denied claims he downloaded extreme pornography onto his computer in Parliament.
September was the busiest month for traffic with over 32,000 attempts to look at websites with XXX-rated content blocked.
Other sites such as dating pages Tinder and Grindr were also accessed. They are not classed as pornography but still banned by House of Commons’ rules.
Users in Westminster also tried to access gay hook-up app Grindr more than 250,000 times in a single month, it has been revealed.
A Freedom of Information request gave a snapshot of internet traffic over several months last year. Computer experts log all the websites visited by MPs, Lords and their staff – including addresses of blocked sites.
In December last year, more than
1,000 attempts were made to log on to Tinder, while Grindr had 272,000 hits. A dating site for crossdressers and their admirers was also typed in almost 500 times, while escort site Adultwork was visited more than
100 times. Experts also logged almost 3,000 attempted visits to a hardcore gay porn site and users made thousands of attempts to access sites to help dodge the systems in place to filter out banned pages. In replying to the FOI request, the House of Commons Information Rights and Information Security Service said: “The information covers both Houses and all users of the parliamentary network participating in parliamentary business. GRACE CRAWFORD
PROTESTERS marched towards the home of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe yesterday to urge him to step down.
The demo came on a day of widespread jubilation in the capital Harare following the army’s takeover on Wednesday. Soldiers at State House pushed protesters away amid “party” scenes.
The army intervened after Mugabe, 93, sacked his deputy, saying his wife Grace should succeed him.
The military has kept him confined to his residence and says it is “engaging” with him and will advise on the outcome of talks “as soon as possible”. “The data also includes users of the guest wi-fi service from May 2016.”
A police source revealed extreme content was being accessed on a “daily basis” on Mr Green’s system, just before the material was made illegal.
But speaking yesterday, Mr Green reiterated his denial he was responsible for putting the porn on his computer or for viewing it.
He said: “As I have said throughout I did not download or look at pornography in my office.”
Police originally raided the office of Mr Green, 61, in November 2008 after a probe into leaks of government papers and the material was then reportedly found.
As First Secretary of State, he is considered prime minister Theresa May’s deputy but is now reportedly “clinging to his job”.
The police source reported: “Porn was being accessed on an almost virtual daily basis. Police were told nothing could be done.
“Quite simply, it was not illegal to be in possession of extreme images before January 2009. If it was a few weeks later it would have been.”