Ofcom has released draft guidance suggesting that porn users may have their faces scanned to prove their age, with additional checks for young-looking adults. The regulator has set out several ways that explicit sites could prevent children from accessing pornography. A recent report by Ofcom suggested that a significant portion of the UK population watches online pornography – nearly 14 million people, with one in five of those watching it during office hours. The average age that children first view pornography is 13.
The new Online Safety Act became law recently and requires social media platforms and search engines to protect children from harmful content online. Ofcom will enforce the law and can fine companies that do not comply. The regulator has outlined how it expects firms to comply with the new regulations, which will come into effect in 2025, stating that age checks must be “highly effective at correctly determining whether or not a particular user is a child”. Acceptable methods could include requiring government photographic ID such as a passport, checking if the user has previously had age restrictions removed from a mobile phone, credit card checks, and digital ID wallets.
Privacy campaigners have criticised the proposals, warning of “catastrophic” consequences if data from age checks is leaked. Pornhub, a major explicit website, has also said that regulations requiring the collection of “highly sensitive personal information” could jeopardise user safety. However, young adults involved in sex education have praised the protections as a means of preventing children from being exposed to pornography
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