One in three new customers choose to activate TalkTalk’s network based parental controls feature, according to a recent statement. TalkTalk introduced the network-based content blocking feature it calls “HomeSafe” in May 2011 with “Active Choice” for new customers – meaning that new customers are forced to make a positive choice whether or not to activate the feature, there is no default option. TalkTalk is considering applying this “Active choice” rule to existing customers too, but ordinary customer churn gradually increases the number who have faced it, which TalkTalk estimates will reach 1 million households by March 2013.

Whether a take-up rate of one third is considered “high” depends on your perspective. The experiment has shown that one in three customers do think it is worth having, which is likely to leave TalkTalk executives feeling vindicated in their decision to push this as a competitive advantage. Or to put it another way, two in three customers choose not to have it when asked neutrally, a result some will see as vindication of their own criticisms of Claire Perry’s campaign to make customers apply separately for uncensored Internet access, which the MP calls “an Opt-In to Pornography”.