New law will force porn sites to verify users’ age
USERS of online pornography will have to prove their age under tougher new rules aimed to make the internet safer for children.
The Online Safety Bill has been beefed up to require all sites which publish adult content to have “robust checks” to ensure visitors are 18 or over.
Before only commercial porn sites that allow user-generated content were in the scope of the Bill.
Ministers said that if firms fail to act, regulator Ofcom could fine them up to 10 per cent of their annual global turnover or block their site in the UK.
Bosses could be held criminally liable if they fail to co-operate.
Marking today’s Safer Internet Day, Digital Minister Chris Philp said: “It is too easy for children to access pornography online. Parents deserve peace of mind that their children are protected online from seeing things no child should see.
“We are now strengthening the Online Safety Bill so it applies to all porn sites to ensure we achieve our aim of making the internet a safer place for children.”
The Government said the onus will be on the companies to decide on how best to comply but they should not process or store irrelevant data Lynn Perry, co-boss of children’s charity Barnardo’s, said: “We are delighted that the Government has responded to concerns raised by Barnardo’s and other child safety organisations.
“Children are stumbling upon violent and extreme pornography as young as six years old and these measures will finally help to stop that happening. However, this needs to be implemented as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more children will continue to be harmed.
“We look forward to working with the Government to ensure these plans are enacted swiftly.”
Sites could use tech to confirm a user has a credit card and is at least 18, or use a service to confirm someone’s age against official data.