New measures designed to prevent paedophiles posing as children on the Internet were welcomed yesterday by SDLP Assembly member, Mrs Patricia Lewsely.
The interactiveAgeCheck (iAC) scheme was launched yesterday with the aim of cracking down on adults using the worldwide web to prey on young people.
Developed by the proof of age scheme Citizencard, it will bar adults from children's chat rooms and other sites, provided operators sign up.
Mrs Lewsley said recent cases involving Internet paedophilia had highlighted the need for a clampdown on this activity.
She added that tighter controls would give parents the confidence to allow their children to use the Internet as an educational resource.
"I hope that Internet service providers will now take the responsibility of signing up to this initiative to maximise its potential.
"It is only through a completely co-operative international approach that this scourge on our society can be wiped out." The Lagan Valley MLA argued that more international co-operation was needed to prevent known sex offenders moving from one jurisdiction to another, undetected.
She has called for the sharing of information on known paedophiles to prevent offenders from relocating to Northern Ireland.