'Kosher' Phones Block Porn

Israel’s top phone company is betting that its most orthodox customers need less temptation in their lives. Bezeq Israel Telecom launched a “kosher” phone service yesterday that will block calls to and from “improper” numbers, such as porn lines. In true kosher fashion, Israel’s top rabbis have approved the restrictions, Reuters reports.

The company has invested more than $500,000 in the cleaned up phone scheme, which it will open to everyone, not just the fanatically religious. “Obviously, our main customer is the ultra-Orthodox,” said one Bezeq exec. “But a lot of parents don’t want their children to be exposed to these kinds of numbers.” The company believes 90% of Israel’s ultra-Orthodoxy already uses Bezeq. (More telecom industry stories.)