Northern is reminding customers that the strict ‘not suitable for work’ (NSFW) rule is also applicable when they are viewing content on its trains and stations.
Content that is considered ‘NSFW’ can be anything from inappropriate jokes and bad language to offensive topics and explicit material.
Although when they are at work most people are more likely to err on the side of caution, once they have left their workplace, the rush to view content may mean that their train journey home is often the first opportunity they have to take a look.
To help get the message across to its customers, Northern is reminding its customers that the internet in their stations and on-board their trains is classified as ‘Friendly WiFi‘, which is a government-initiated safe certification standard for public Wi-Fi.
The ‘Friendly WiFi’ label seeks to reassure users that Northern’s WiFi service meets minimum filtering standards, especially in those areas where children may be present, such as in Northern’s stations and onboard its trains.
The ‘Friendly WIiFi’ scheme is delivered in partnership with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), and Northern has been a member of the scheme since 2017.
Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We welcome millions of people into our stations and on-board our trains every year – and access to safe and reliable internet is part and parcel of our customers’ expectations.
“It is important, however, that people remember that some content is not suitable for everyone to see or hear – particularly children.
“As such, if something is ‘not suitable for work’ it’s more than likely not suitable in our stations or on-board our trains either – so please wait until you get home.”
Bev Smith, director of Friendly WiFi, said: “We are excited to be working with Northern as a ‘Friendly WiFi’ certified train operator.
“They were passionate throughout the process to achieve the standard to ensure a great experience online for all their customers whilst travelling with them.”
Responses
It is difficult to know or understand how they might police this “pronouncement”.It would be difficult to draft an appropriate ( no pun intended) railway bylaw and it would be difficult for railway staff, on train to deal with some situations.What and what is not appropriate is very subjective.
There have been various announced and what is and what isn’t appropriate behaviour on trains .Every week we hear of or see drunked , loutish behave on trains and nothing is effectively done.Perhaps it should be a priority to tackle these more obvious and upsetting breaches, where appropriate bilaws already exist.
All they’re saying though is “We’ve blocked porn on our public WiFi”, which everybody figured they would be doing anyway. They’re not going to be going around inspecting everyone’s phones for edgy jokes.
Yes but very often now on trains people play stuff on iPhones on speaker.I ‘ve heard it myself, people explicitly swearing at each other on the phone.This may be done in “fun” between the people indulging in the conversation.If a passenger objects and say something if could cause a difficult situation, which would be doubly difficult if rail staff got involved or were complained to.
As stated elsewhere, we need traveling plain clothes enforcement officers.Yes they couldn’t be on every train but their very existence and operation could be proventative of many other things.