Recap: Starbucks is finally set to make good on a promise it made years ago regarding the viewing of explicit material over its Wi-Fi network. That's probably not an issue that most people have ever even considered but it does happen.

Starbucks in 2019 will implement a new tool designed to prevent people from watching pornography in its stores.

The popular coffee shop chain originally committed to blocking access to explicit material over its public Wi-Fi network in 2016 but has lagged behind others like Chick-fil-A, Subway and McDonald’s in actually implementing it.

Renewed pressure from non-profit Enough is Enough was apparently enough (no pun intended) to get Starbucks to move the initiative up its list of priorities. A petition on the matter as of Thursday had amassed more than 26,000 signatures.

Earlier this week, EIE President and CEO Donna Rice Hughes said, “By breaking its commitment, Starbucks is keeping the doors wide open for convicted sex offenders and others to fly under the radar from law enforcement and use free, public Wi-Fi services to access illegal child porn and hard-core pornography.” Hughes also added that unfiltered hotspots allow children and teens to bypass parental control tools set up by their parents on their mobile devices.

A Starbucks representative told The Verge that its solution will begin rolling out to US locations next year. Details on the tool weren’t provided although the company said it tested multiple solutions in hopes of avoiding accidentally blocking non-offensive material.

The company also noted that viewing illegal or egregious content is not, nor has it ever been permitted over its Wi-Fi network.

 

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