Telstra: Porn Kings No More

Porn gets the chop at blue telco after a customer backlash against its CEO.

Forget dirty porn, look at all the happy cuddly movies on Telstra.

Telstra customers can no longer get their kicks off BigPond porno content after CEO David Thodey gave it the chop, this week.

In a Telstra staff newsletter seen by Bread And Justice, Thodey announced the move saying: “We have decided that we will no longer promote access to adult-orientated content through our websites.”

This was on the back of complaints from appalled customers who “thought we shouldn’t promote adult-orientated movies or videos that objectify women.”

These adult titles on offer from the blue telco included titles like ‘Dirty Housewife’ and ‘Hot Asian Gets Wet’, have been available for the past 6-7 years.

And “I have to agree” with angry customers who mailed the Telstra boss their thoughts on the issue, he declared, despite the fact he have been well aware BigPond was flogging soft porn for yonks.

Telstra is a cuddly, caring family company and ” is just not the Telstra thing to do” to sell such salacious content, he added.

“We are owned by more than a million Australian families, many of our customers are Australian families and family businesses.”

Thodey also cited his telco’s support of pro women initiatives such as Telstra Business Women’s Awards and added “and we cannot support anything that is sexist or that is inconsistent with our values.”

Telstra always insisted its content was mild compared to hardcore porn sites and that it was merely offering a wide spectrum of content to suit consumer demand to its 13m plus mobile users, something which Thodey reiterated in the latest staff bulletin. 

“The content accessible via BigPond is mild compared to what’s available on the Internet.  None of it had an ‘R’ rating. In fact, I’m assured you could find more explicit content at your local DVD shop or elsewhere in cyberspace. “

Anti porn sites collectiveshout.org commended the decision on its website this week:

“Good decision Telstra. We look forward to other Telco’s following your lead.”

Read: Telstra New Porn King