• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle Discussion

The UK “Porn Ban” – what do you need to know?

While the Internet undoubtedly offers innumerable benefits to our society, it also has the potential to cause huge issues. Key amongst these is the possibility of minors stumbling across material – such as pornography – which studies show can be damaging to young people’s mental health. The NSPCC, for example, recently cited widespread confusion over what constitutes “normal” […]

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
2019-04-18 09:55
in Discussion, Media, News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

While the Internet undoubtedly offers innumerable benefits to our society, it also has the potential to cause huge issues.

Key amongst these is the possibility of minors stumbling across material – such as pornography – which studies show can be damaging to young people’s mental health. The NSPCC, for example, recently cited widespread confusion over what constitutes “normal” intimate activity as a cause for increasing peer sexual abuse. Safeguarding children online, and helping to prevent them from viewing such material, is therefore of utmost importance.

New regulation under the Digital Economy aims to address this problem. From 15th July, it will mandatory for all adult content websites to implement robust age verification on their digital platforms.

For many consumers, there is a growing sense of confusion around the law. How will it work in reality? Will it be a widespread “porn ban?” What does it mean for data protection?

Let’s look at the facts behind some of these questions.

How will it work?

Whenever a UK IP address attempts to access a website with age-restricted content, the user will have to verify they are over 18. They will not be able to view explicit content until they have proven their age.

RelatedPosts

Stunned response as Linda Robson tells Loose Women panel she thinks Boris Johnson is a ‘decent man’

Laurence Fox told to pay £36k legal fees for drag artist and Stonewall executive

Guns banned at Trump’s NRA address

‘Is that it?’: PM’s lapdog newspapers tell Brits to move on over Partygate

The onus of implementing such checks will fall on individual pornographic websites. Given that the government has not created its own verification system for websites to use, website operators will need to choose from a number of different age-checking software services on the market.

There are variations between suppliers with regards to how each company will verify customers. AgeChecked, for example, works by allowing customers to confirm their age securely via an anonymous username and password. In order to get the username and password,  users must first age verify themselves.  They can choose from a range of methods, utilising a mobile app, credit card or driving licence.

Each time the user logs on to the website in question, they will not have to re-verify themselves in order to access it. Instead, they simply sign in as normal and they will be granted instant access. This way, compliant age checks can be carried out without disrupting the user’s journey. 

Three key myths

  1. “My data will be hacked or leaked”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the incoming legislation has triggered privacy fears. Will porn companies be able to link people’s identities to their porn preferences? This is a very valid concern.

The only way sure-fire way to avoid highly sensitive data leaking is to make sure that such data is not created in the first place. In this respect, it’s vital that all age verification systems are third-party providers (and not in any way affiliated with the porn sites themselves.)

AgeChecked never stores personal information on its users and credentials are completely anonymised. When a user tries to access an age-restricted website or service, the website will only receive a simple ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ alert – nothing more.

  1. “It’s just a censorship tool”

The whole point of the new age verification regulations is simply to prevent children from stumbling across pornographic content; these measures will not have any control over what content adults can and cannot view.

  1. “People can bypass the system”

Online age verification works by implementing barriers that make it as difficult as possible for young children to stumble upon inappropriate or damaging adult content.

Of course, there will always be a minority that tries to undermine these barriers, which is unfortunate but unavoidable. That’s why it’s so important that age-gating software does not work in silo; but rather plays a role in an overall solution. Underage access to adult content is a problem that needs support from both parents and government to be properly tackled going forward.

Looking ahead

Overall, while it is easy to become fixated on the pros and cons of the upcoming porn ban, what people need to remind themselves of is the core purpose of this legislation – to protect and prevent vulnerable youngsters from needlessly stumbling across this graphic, damaging content.

Alastair Graham, Chair of the Age Verification Providers Association and CEO of AgeChecked.

Parents’ horror as primary school pupils are shown porn video during screening of Paddington Bear

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Truss called out for splashing £500k on private jet while pushing for tax hike

Gossip – Man Utd to clinch Villa star? Chelsea transfer pot?

Brexit: Checks between NI and GB ‘not fit for purpose’

Norwegian ships to be powered by fuel made from dead fish

Fancy life on a farm? This one might just be out of your price range

Don’t attend any more vigils for Sarah, Priti Patel warns

Restaurant Review – Tokimeite

Vanquish Your Love Handles

UK Weather forecast, Tuesday 14 September 2021

No-deal Brexit ‘most serious crisis’ since WWII, warns Churchill’s grandson

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.