UK update plans for age verification for adult content

The UK is, yet again trying to implement the requirement of age verification to be able to allow access to adult-oriented content online. The country that has been struggling, suffering from a string of self-inflicted crises, has announced a plan to go back on the program that was deemed ineffective since 2015. Chris Philp MP, under-secretary of state for Tech and the Digital Economy Chris Philp MP, under-secretary of state for Tech and the Digital Economy revealed that the largely unchanged scheme will be announced as part of the soon-to-be-introduced Online Safety Bill.

The requirement for age verification is in the works from the time the Conservative party added it to its manifesto of 2015. Since then, the government has been trying to implement the scheme bypassing the enabling legislation in 2017 and establishing dates to roll out the system. In April 2019, the regulators declared that the plan would be operational by July. However, the then minister of culture pulled the plugin in mid-June. The idea was to replace the plan with a wider set of regulations and then reviewed it under the broad umbrella of Online Harms.

However, the bill is filled with the same issues that made the system inoperable when it was first implemented. The UK initially wanted to delegate the management and operation of this system over to BBFC which is a film board for censorship that is run by the film industry instead of a dedicated operator. It has been ignoring the protests of privacy advocates who claimed that the databases containing the names of those who have been enrolled for verification of age are a source of concern for all.

It’s not a good idea company owns an adult content website and an age verification system, like the case with Pornhub owner Mindgeek suggested it’s an issue of the power of monopoly. The products suggested by Engadget are chosen by our editorial staff which is independently the parent organization. A few of our stories contain affiliate hyperlinks. If you purchase something from any of the links we provide, then we might receive a commission from an affiliate.



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