UK’s online safety act unveils ‘Adults Only’ passport to porn
The UK government has finally set the stage for age verification tools in online porn through the Online Safety Act, ushering in concerns about privacy and user safety.
Ofcom, the regulatory authority, detailed stringent measures for viewers over 18 to verify their age on adult sites. Methods suggested by Ofcom for verifying the age of porn watchers include the provision of photo IDs, like passports and driving licenses, or credit cards (how could that possibly go wrong?).
Alternatively, they could get their bank or mobile company to confirm they’re over 18, but this would essentially mean sharing viewing habits with the companies involved. Most concerning of all is the prospect of facial scanning, another proposed solution to age verification, which would involve estimating the age of a porn site user based on their facial features.
Ofcom’s stance places the onus on porn sites to comply with UK legal guidelines, potentially facing hefty fines for non-compliance. Privacy experts warn of dire consequences, foreseeing the possibility of blackmail if the sensitive data from age checks is compromised. Even Pornhub, though tentatively supporting the concept, raised alarms over jeopardizing user safety by collecting “highly sensitive personal information.”
The aftermath of similar measures in the US, where age verification led to an 80% traffic drop for Pornhub in Louisiana, indicates a shift to less regulated, riskier porn sites or the use of VPNs to evade restrictions.
According to Ofcom’s recent study, a significant portion of online UK adults accessed pornography in 2023, with children as young as 11 encountering explicit content. With almost 80% of young viewers exposed to violent and explicit material, concerns about easy access to online pornography for minors have intensified.
Ofcom’s Chief Executive, Melanie Dawes, emphasized the necessity for effective age checks, dismissing self-declaration of age as insufficient under the new online safety laws. The battle to regulate online porn access rages on, balancing between safeguarding minors and respecting user privacy in the digital era.
“Pornography is too readily accessible to children online, and the new online safety laws are clear that must change,” says Ofcom’s chief executive Melanie Dawes. “Our practical guidance sets out a range of methods for highly effective age checks. We’re clear that weaker methods – such as allowing users to self-declare their age – won’t meet this standard.”
The UK government has been trying to introduce age verification tools into online porn for some time, first as part of its Digital Economy Act, and more recently as part of its controversial Online Safety Bill (which recently became law as the Online Safety Act). If you’ve been on any NSFW sites lately, of course, then you’ll know that all attempts have been unsuccessful… so far. Now, porn watchers are facing age-gating once again.
In Ofcom’s December 5 report on “protecting children from online pornography”, the organisation places the responsibility for meeting the UK’s legal guidelines on porn sites themselves, explaining that its job is to “provide guidance” and “hold them to account” if they fail to comply (presumably in the form of large fines). How can they avoid these consequences? Essentially, by spying on their users.