This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The firewall being operated by the UK's biggest internet service providers as part of David Cameron's child internet safety campaign has blocked an update of an online video game due which unintentionally included the letters "s-e-x" in its web address.

The update to online strategy game League of Legends was disrupted by the internet filter because the software attempted to access files that accidentally include the word “sex” in the middle of their file names.

The block resulted in the update failing with “file not found” errors, which are usually created by missing files or broken updates on the part of the developers.

The porn filter only takes affect on new internet connections, presented as a choice at the point of first connection, and therefore does not yet cover a majority of people.

VarusExpiration

The issue was first noted on social news site Reddit by LolBoopje showing that files named VarusExpirationTimer.luaobj and XerathMageChainsExtended.luaobj (emphasis added) were enough to trigger a block at the internet service provider level.

For users affected by the broken update, the only current recourse is to switch off the internet filtering by contacting their internet service provider, or to use the online support forms often located within the router and internet settings.

This is not the first time the adult content filter championed by the Prime Minister has caught more than was intended.

TalkTalk was forced to apologise when it incorrectly classified one of London’s oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender charities, London Friend, as pornographic - a mistake which meant the charity's site was blocked to some users.

“Sadly there is no silver bullet when it comes to internet safety and we have always been clear that no solution can ever be 100 per cent. It requires all of us to play our part,” said TalkTalk spokesperson to PinkNews.

• What does David Cameron’s great firewall really look like?