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Flight Attendants to Take on Role as Porn Police

By: Justin Bourne

Posted: 08/27/2008

With unfiltered in-flight Internet now being offered by several airlines, the duty of monitoring what people view in-flight on their laptops and mobile devices might fall to the flight attendants. 

This awkward duty of defining obscene material comes in addition to them keeping their eyes peeled for terrorists, maintaining a safe travel environment, attending to the special needs of all passengers and serving food and beverages -- with a smile.

With air travel at an all-time low, flight attendant salaries drooping and the general wide-spread disdain for airline companies at present, one wonders if it's even worth it. 

Delta Airlines reported on its website that it plans to offer, for a price, a broadband Wi-Fi access onboard the airline's domestic fleet of more than 330 mainline aircraft. Aircell's Gogo in-flight Internet service will be available in first and economy classes in 2009 and is apparently "the most expansive in-flight broadband offering of any U.S. air carrier."

Unfortunately the offering of this seemingly innocent luxury brings rise to some First Amendment issues.

Delta, putting the pressure on would-be porn viewers, has suggested that other passengers will aid in the obscenity policing effort.