Govt scraps under-18 porn block after several delays

The Government has scrapped plans to make people prove they are over 18 to watch porngraphy online amid concerns from websites and privacy fears.

The law had already been postponed twice as ministers and the adult industry struggled to come up with a system that worked.

One idea was for newsagents to sell ‘porn passes’ to people who could prove they were 18 or over. These would contain a code to sign into adult sites.

Another proposal was for people to prove their age by signing into sites through ‘Digital ID’ apps, though privacy campaigners warned hackers would target this data to blackmail users.

Under the rules, websites would have used their own software to check the age of users, and be regulated by the

British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). If they didn’t comply they could’ve been blocked in the UK, or barred from receiving electronic payments.

But critics of the law said under-18s would easily be able to get around it using technology such as VPNS, while even the BBFC admitted that “determined teenagers will find ways to access pornography”.

Shadow Culture Secretary Tom Watson said the Government’s attempt to introduce the law has been “a shambles”. He called for ministers to declare how much money has been spent on the policy.

He added: “The Government have a moral duty to protect children, young people and other vulnerable groups at risk of online harms. There isn’t time to waste”.

However, Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan insisted that the Government’s commitment to protecting children online is “unwavering”.

She said preventing children from seeing porn online will remain a key part of the Government’s Online Harms White Paper, which sets out to introduce a “world-leading package of online safety measures”.

Would you still like to see age restrictions for web porn? Let us know: letters@computeractive.co.uk