Porn websites risk being banned in the UK if they don’t prove users are over 18
Pornography websites will be required to install age-verification software to make sure their users are not under 18, according to the Independent. Adult sites face banning in the UK if they will not comply with the new regulations imposed by the Government.
Around one million children access explicit websites every month, as NSPCC reports show. The charity warns pornography can give children a corrupt view of relationships, increase risky behaviour and create unrealistic expectations of body image and performance.
“We are taking the next step to put in place the legal requirement for websites with adult content to ensure it is safely behind an age-verification control,” Digital Minister Matt Hancock said. “All this means that while we can enjoy the freedom of the web, the UK will have the most robust internet child protection measures of any country in the world.”
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The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that all porn site will have age verification controls in place by April 2018. Similar to gambling websites, x-rated pages might require users to offer details of their credit cards – something that cannot be legally issued to anyone under 18. Furthermore, internet service providers might have to block sex sites that do not take steps to prevent minors from accessing their content.
“Protecting children from exposure, including accidental exposure, to adult content is incredibly important, given the effect it can have on young people,” Will Gardner, chief executive of internet safety charity Childnet, said. “Steps like this to help restrict access, alongside the provision of free parental controls and education, are key. It is essential to help parents and carers, as well as young people, be more aware of this risk and what they can do to prevent exposure and also to make sense of exposure if it happens.”
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