Some people like to go to Starbucks to get coffee. Others like to sit and work on projects in a nice, quiet setting. And some, apparently, like to watch explicit material. After pressure from an anti-pornography organization, Starbucks’ Wi-Fi porn problem is set to be finally fixed by next year.
The pressure is coming from a group called Enough is Enough. The group has successfully implemented campaigns that have caused restaurants like Chick-Fil-A, Subway and McDonald’s to curb their own problems with customers using their Wi-Fi hotspots to view pornography.
Starbucks originally promised back in 2016 that it would follow in line, voluntarily filtering their Wi-Fi for explicit material. Two years later, however, Enough is Enough says in a new CitizensGo petition that the chain has failed to implement anything regarding blocking profane content since that promise. The petition has garnered significant attention with over 26,000 signatures.
“By breaking its commitment Starbucks is keeping the doors wide open for convicted sex offenders and patrons to fly under the radar from law enforcement and use free, public Wi-Fi services to view or distribute graphics or obscene pornography, child pornography (an illegal crime), or engage in sexual predation activity,” Enough is Enough CEO Donna Rice Hughes says in the petition.
Speaking to Business Insider, Starbucks says starting next year it will finally take the steps that it promised to take two years ago.
“To ensure the Third Place remains safe and welcoming to all, we have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our US locations in 2019,” the coffee chain said.
Enough is Enough are apparently happy with the steps Starbucks is taking. Hughes said to Business Insider that she was “thrilled” about the new development.
No further details were given about the tool, but the company said they had tested multiple programs and have one that would block customers from viewing pornography and other explicit materials in their stores going forward.
