Tue 11 Jan 2011 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
McDonald's has asked its internet provider to remove blocks from a number of websites following concern about a lack of access through the free WiFi service it offers in the majority of its outlets in New Zealand. "We will be removing blocks from the NZ Family Planning and associated www.theword.org.nz; website, Rainbow Youth, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gay People (PFLAG) and Agender websites. These blocks should, we are advised, be removed within 24 hours," a letter from the company reads. It says it's struggling with a decision on the GayNZ.com site due to some of the third party advertising for sex on site venues, but has offered to meet with the website's owners and canvas possible technical tools around access to the site face-to-face. McDonald's has thanked GayNZ.com Daily News for bringing some of the inconsistencies in its Free WiFi access to its attention. "These were as previously mentioned, due to our use of a commonly applied filtering software package," it says. "In closing, McDonald's would like to stress that it will actively discriminate against access to all sexually explicit and pornographic material in restaurants. We would also like to stress that it was never our intention to discriminate against the gay community. "Our review process is of course on-going and we're absolutely happy to check out websites on a case-by-case basis, if our customers believe some have been unjustifiably blocked."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 11th January 2011 - 7:06pm