The government has expanded the range of pornography websites that face being blocked in the UK unless they actually verify the ages of their visitors instead of just allowing them to check a box.
A new provision in the Online Safety Bill – which intends to prevent children from accessing adult material on the web – will now cover all commercial pornography sites, extending the law ‘s scope beyond YouTube-style platforms that allow unverified users to upload content.
It also closes what the NSPCC has described as the “OnlyFans loophole” where the site could legitimately argue that it should not be covered by the law because children did not constitute a significant portion of its user base.
The government is announcing updates to the legislation, which it intends to quickly reintroduce to Parliament and bring into force, following the scrutiny of its initial draft by a joint committee of MPs and Peers.
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,” Mr Philp added.
Security and privacy experts have cautioned that the requirement to actually verify users’ ages could lead to databases being created on individuals’ sexual preferences, potentially exposing them to social stigma and blackmail.
The NSPCC welcomed the move but said the updated legislation “still falls short of giving children comprehensive protection from preventable abuse and… needs significant strengthening to…
Source : skynews
