Govt delays 18-plus porn blocks after failing to tell EU

The Government has been forced to delay for a second time its scheme to block under-18s visiting porn websites because it failed to tell EU regulators about the plan.

Age checks were due to be introduced on 15 July, 15 months after they were first meant to come into effect. Sites found breaking the law faced being blocked by internet service providers.

But Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright postponed the launch after admitting that the Government failed to tell Brussels about the proposals when it presented them to Parliament last autumn.

He insisted that the delay, likely to be around six months, didn’t mean the Government was backing down from the policy, saying: “Age verification needs to happen, and in the interest of the needs of children, it must”.

However, Labour’s Cat Smith slammed the delay as

an “utter shambles”.

The scheme has provoked controversy and confusion since being suggested by then-prime Minister David Cameron in 2012.

It has gained support from children’s charities and seems to be popular with the public, but privacy campaigners have always claimed it would be a hacker’s dream. They warn that scammers might be able to steal the personal information users would have to enter to prove their age, such as driving licences and passport details.

However, it has never been confirmed that people would have to sign into sites using this method. Another idea is for newsagents to sell ‘porn passes’ over the counter. These would contain a unique code to be entered online.

Critics have also questioned how effective the scheme would be, predicting that under-18s will simply use VPNS to bypass the restrictions.

Supporters respond by saying the law should be seen as a way to prevent some children from “stumbling” upon porn online, not as a “silver bullet” to block those actively looking for adult content.