Govt to block porn sites that allow kids

Porn websites could be blocked in the UK if they fail to ask users to prove they are 18 or over, the Government has said. In an amendment to the Digital Economy Bill, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will be given powers to force internet service providers (ISPS) to block access to sites that break the rules.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley (pictured) said the proposals would d fulfill a Conservativeve 2015 manifesto pledge to keep children safe online.

The move comes amid growing concern about the number of children who watch sexually explicit videos online. Research by children’s charity NSPCC found ththat 53 per cent of childrenchildr aged 11 to 16 ha had seen porn on online. It said the abundance of internet porn was st stripping an entire ge generation of their chil childhoods. But critics said that not enough thought has gone into the proposals. The Internet Service Providers’ Association warned of “far-reaching implications for the UK internet”, and called for the Government to consider the “potential for unintended consequences”, such as safe and legal sites being blocked. The head of Open Rights Group, which campaigns for “digital freedoms”, also attacked the measures. Jim Killock said that the Government hasn’t proved there is “serious enough harm to justify such a massive restriction on UK adults’ access to legal material”.