On 8th February 2022, Safer Internet Day UK's Digital Minister Chris Philp announced a new provision, the Online Safety Bill to prevent underage access to pornography sites by putting robust checks to ensure their users are 18 years or over. This includes using adults using secure age verification technology to verify if they possess a credit card and are over 18 or have a third-party service confirm their age against government data.
If any site fails to act, the independent regulator Ofcom can block them from being accessed in the UK or fine them up to 10% of their annual worldwide turnover. The owners of these websites could also be held criminally liable if they fail to cooperate with Ofcom.
Age verification controls are one of the technologies websites can use to prove to Ofcom that they fulfill their duties of care and prevent children from accessing pornography. Age verification technology doesn't need a full identity check. Companies need to ensure that their technology does not store or process data that is irrelevant to checking a user's age. The technology must be secure, effective, and privacy-preserving.
The new standalone provision being added to the proposed legislation will require providers that publish or place pornographic content on their site to prevent children from accessing it. This will ensure commercial providers of pornography and the sites that allow user-generated content are captured. Any company that runs such a pornography site in the UK will be subject to the same strict enforcement measures as other in-scope services.
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