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McDonald's Wi-Fi: What's blocked and what's not

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Mon, 10 Jan 2011 3:25p.m.

McDonald's' free Wi-Fi blocks several gay-themed websites

McDonald's' free Wi-Fi blocks several gay-themed websites

By Dan Satherley

McDonald’s has come under fire today for blocking access to gay-themed websites through its free Wi-Fi service.

News site gaynz.com reported this morning their site was not accessible, nor were several other sites servicing the gay community.

But what can you access through the restaurant giant’s internet connection? And what turns the restaurants' Happy Meals' smiles into frowns?

As it turns out, it's akin to flipping a coin whether a borderline website makes the cut or not – borderline being a subjective point of view, of course.

While gaynz.com is essentially a mix of news, opinion, events and entertainment, website Bro Online appears to cater for more, let's say, adult interests. Its front page is adorned with naked men posing in the shower, lounging around the house, cuddling in the pool – you get the idea. It also prominently links to a section unambiguously titled 'Cruise the Bros'.

It's available at McDonald's.

Gay Express is a newspaper with nationwide distribution. Its online presence is rudimentary, but slips through the net.

Rainbowtourism.co.nz, a gay-themed tourism website, is also fine.

So what is blocked? Well, gaynz.com, as mentioned earlier. Agender.org.nz, a support group for transgender New Zealanders, doesn't make it past the filter. Rainbow Youth, an advocacy and support group for young gay Kiwis is also a no-go.

In fact, it was easier finding gay-related sites that were blocked than were open, regardless of the site's purpose.

And while gay site Bro Online is given the green light, mainstream dating sites like the Fairfax-owned findsomeone.co.nz and the ever-popular nzdating.com are blocked.

The filter's primary purpose – one would imagine – is to block adult content, the kind you'd only look at in private, and that it does well. Some might say too well – though it does have its blind spots.

The website for Steve Crow's Erotica Expo is blocked, as you'd expect, as are a few international adult sites 3 News tried out – no matter how tame the content, like newspaper The Sun's 'Page 3' website.

But in a day and age when even Facebook is afraid to host breastfeeding support groups, it's perhaps inevitable McDonald's' attempt to keep a family-friendly image would veer into absurdity. Wikipedia pages for certain body parts are blocked, though a search on Flickr (not blocked) will bring up said body parts in no time. You can't read an encyclopaedic entry about sex, but you can head on over to LiveJournal (a popular blogging site with a sizeable 'slash fiction' community) and read a story about Captain Kirk and Spock going where no captain of the USS Enterprise has gone before – at least on TV.

McDonald's isn't the only provider of free Wi-Fi in the Auckland CBD – the library does too. It's not very fast, and you're limited to 100MB a day, but they don't block a thing. 3 News had no trouble logging on to any site we tried – the only hurdle was the painfully slow connection, so although you can get onto The Pirate Bay, good luck downloading that new Duran Duran album before they close up for the day.

The Westfield mall at the bottom of Queen St and most cafes in the CBD, including Starbucks, provide Wi-Fi through a service called Tomizone. It's completely uncensored, though will set you back a few dollars an hour.

Almost everywhere 3 News went in the CBD today our netbook picked up a 'Telecom hotspot', which is great coverage, but at a whopping $9.95 an hour, we can't say it was worth checking out – no matter how uncensored!

3 News

NOTE: 3 News cannot guarantee the suitability of any of the above links for a workplace, school or restaurant environment.

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Comments

15 May 2012 04:02a.m.

Tom C wrote:

If you believe McDonald’s is “out of line” with this policy then I think you should punish them. Here’s how you can do it: open a café nearby and offer free wifi to all your customers without any “blocked sites.” That’ll show them you’re made of sterner stuff than they think!! And please, don’t limit the broadband; if your customers want to Skype or watch videos on your money, let them, that way no one will be able to post a complaint that you’re “censoring” their right to access.

12 Jan 2011 12:34a.m.

Tim Li wrote:

One question, are gays so desperate they have to access a gay site in McDonalds? There are hundreds of billions of websites in the world, must you access a gay site while munching a burger? McD has very generously offered a convenient service, and have chose according to their good sense, blocked certain sites. Fair enough I say, quit your whining and don't ruin it for everyone. @ Greg who said "You should be censoring your children and not asking McDonald's to do it for you." I find your logic laughable. No public opinion was entered into when McDonald 's made the decision. So really, the gay community is the one making a request. @ Aimee who said "I would far rather accidentally see someone looking at a gay information site than having a woman breastfeeding their child while I eat my food." I frankly find it quite disturbing you place gay rights above the right to breast-feed. @ Angelica who said "It is people like you that truely demonstrate how closely related people are to animals." Actually, animals do not have problem with homosexual behaviour (and if you didn't know, homosexual behaviour exists among a number of animals). As humans we have the unique intellect to decide what is suitable in what situation. Your post also suggests your belief in evolution, which I should remind you, did not involve homosexual predecessors. @ Jason who said "I certainly wont be going there anymore. I'm taking my money elsewhere. McDonald's can go jump. Let breeders take their kids there to get fattening, tasteless food." Your post is hilarious. Firstly it suggests that before this piece of news, you took you money to buy what you considered is fattening and tasteless food, why?? Second, McD is an international corporation, they do not need to "go jump" just because they lose your business. And since you said you will go elsewhere, you are the one that is 'jumping'. And lastly, please DO take your money else where, one less whiner.

11 Jan 2011 09:34a.m.

Thinkaboutit wrote:

Sexuality on the internet does not have be treated with a firewall! There is usually some sort of specious objection by misguided religious interests behind decisions like these.
Some comments:
@NZGeekGirl - Good point about the filter's inefficiency, however, 'Mcdonalds' decision is plainly prejudiced against the LGBT community and does a disservice to everyone else.
@Kalpesh - By whose definition do you mean 'unacceptable' or 'not normal'? Your attitude towards homosexuality is utterly transparent. BTW Mcdonalds restaurants are not public places.
@Spyda - I agree, it is (another) good reason not to go to McDonalds. Yes it is their service to block as they choose, but these particular choices need to be recognised as motivated by prejudice: that is called discrimination and we have laws prohibiting it. I admire your concern about preventing kids from accessing innappropriate sites in restaurants, but including so-called gay sites in that category is textbook homophobia.

11 Jan 2011 12:28a.m.

Spyda wrote:

It is their service they can block what they want if u dont like it dont use it. Why should kids have an option of looking at gay sites? All sites based on sexuality of any kind should be blocked.

10 Jan 2011 10:21p.m.

Kalpesh wrote:

It makes sence to block unacceptable websites. Anything NOT normal should be blocked in a public place like McDonalds.

10 Jan 2011 07:52p.m.

NZGeekGirl wrote:

So they are using an imperfect filter that isn't catching all the sites it should and has blocked some unnecessarily. Hardly homophobic. No story here!

10 Jan 2011 06:33p.m.

nattis wrote:

isn't this censorship? Can they even do that legally?

10 Jan 2011 06:04p.m.

The_Watcher wrote:

Who cares. There are far more important issues in New Zealand than stupid blocked websites.