In a new crackdown on porn websites, the UK Government has announced that pornography websites will be forced to verify that the age of their users is at least 18 years old.
Age verifying software will be imposed on these websites, otherwise, they will have the threat of being banned in the UK or risk a hefty fine of up to £250,000. A regulator will be appointed to oversee the new laws that will be in place for porn companies that have either free or paid for websites. The new laws will also regulate access to sites that are hosted in a foreign country.
Gambling websites already have these age verifying controls implemented so this is an another step for the UK Government to place regulations on pornography websites. The National Society for the prevention of cruelty to children (NSPCC) has long been calling for these controls to be established.
According to the NSPCC, 48 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds had viewed online pornography, which experts say is highly damaging to children’s development and can cause lasting harm.
Quote by Digital Minister Matt Hancock: ‘We are taking the next step to put in place the legal requirement for websites with adult content to ensure it is safely behind an age-verification control. All this means that while we can enjoy the freedom of the web, the UK will have the most robust internet child protection measures of any country in the world.’
The UK Government is planning to implement these new regulations by April 2018.
Collective Shout is calling on the Australian Government to more closely follow international best practices to safeguard children from pornography. We will have more information on upcoming campaigns on this issue, please be sure to signup to stay updated.
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