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Liv McMahon, a technology reporter, has reported that Ofcom is currently investigating four companies that operate a total of 34 porn sites to ensure they are complying with the new age check requirements. More than 6,000 websites that allow pornography and other adult content are expected to implement “highly effective” tools to verify or estimate whether users are of legal age. The new rules are designed to prevent children from accessing harmful content online, and Ofcom suspects that some sites may be disregarding these regulations.
The companies under investigation include 8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment S.A., and Trendio Ltd. These companies collectively have over nine million monthly visitors across their websites. Ofcom stated that these companies were targeted due to the potential harm posed by their services and the large number of users they attract. The regulator has already been conducting similar investigations into other platforms, such as online message board 4chan and porn provider First Time Videos LLC.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle praised Ofcom’s actions, noting that they are in line with the intentions of the Online Safety Act to protect children from inappropriate content. He emphasized that the regulations are not meant for censorship but rather to safeguard children from content that could have detrimental effects. Since the implementation of age verification requirements, individuals in the UK have been prompted to confirm their age on various online platforms like social media sites Reddit and X. Music streaming platform Spotify also indicated that they may ask users to verify their age when accessing certain music videos rated for ages 18 and above.
Despite the backlash and concerns raised by some individuals regarding privacy and overreach, the government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act. Ofcom’s efforts to enforce age verification requirements have faced criticism for potential circumvention using virtual private networks. The use of free VPN apps spiked following the introduction of the rules. Ofcom maintains that while the measures are not foolproof, they are a step towards making the internet safer for children by reducing the likelihood of them encountering inappropriate material
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