Ofcom, the British media and telecommunications regulator, has launched an investigation into 34 pornographic platforms to determine whether they employ sufficiently effective age verification methods. According to research, 8% of children aged 8 to 14 regularly visit pornographic websites.
The investigation involved four companies (8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment SA and Trendio Ltd.), which together own 34 pornographic websites, including www.crazyporn.xxx and www.bdsm.one.
These companies were selected by the regulator based on the number of users and the risk of harm they could cause. Collectively, these sites receive 9 million monthly visits in the UK.
This is the first investigation under new regulations that require pornographic websites to use “highly effective” age verification methods to prevent children from accessing harmful content.
“In the UK, people are used to showing proof of age in the offline world to buy age-restricted products like alcohol or tobacco. Age checks for accessing pornography online work in the same way. This will help stop children being exposed to pornography online – in the same way that a child shouldn't be able to walk into a shop and buy a pornographic DVD or magazine,” explains Ofcom.
In practice, this means that users will not be able to access content unless they confirm their age through verification that is “technically accurate, robust, reliable, and fair.” The regulator specifies that effective methods include facial recognition, confirmation of bank details, or the submission of an ID document.
The launch of the investigation has begun the process of collecting and analysing evidence. If breaches are identified, Ofcom will issue preliminary notices, and companies will have the opportunity to respond to the findings. If the breaches are confirmed, the regulator can impose remedies, fines (up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, whichever is higher), and, in the most serious cases, apply to the court to block services or access to the website in the UK.
According to Ofcom, children have until now had “too easy” access to harmful content, including pornography. Research commissioned by the regulator found that 8% of children aged 8-14 in the UK had visited a pornographic website or app in the past month – including around 3% of children aged 8-9. Boys aged 13-14 were most likely to have encountered pornography – significantly more often than girls of the same age.
Discussions about children's access to adult content are also ongoing in the European Union, where age verification is regulated by the EU Digital Services Act. It imposes an obligation to protect minors from harmful content for users in the EU, but determining the age of “digital majority” remains the responsibility of individual member states. (PAP)
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