Promise from major porn sites to implement age verification a win for Ofcom

In the heated match between the UK’s online regulator and adult websites objecting to age verification rules, the advantage has tilted to Ofcom.

A release from the regulator says several major pornographic websites, including PornHub – the most visited adult content site in the UK – have confirmed that they will introduce robust, highly effective age checks in time for the July 25 enforcement deadline. These can include credit card checks, open banking or facial age estimation, among other age assurance methods.

Other services Ofcom says “are happy to be named at this stage” include BoyfriendTV, Cam4, FrolicMe, inxxx, Jerkmate, LiveHDCams, MyDirtyHobby, RedTube, Streamate, Stripchat, Tube8, and YouPorn. The list suggests that, while there may be sites that do not comply, many of the major platforms have realized that their runway in the UK has run out.

However, it is likely that their stakeholders will continue their general push for age verification measures to be imposed at the app store level.

Meanwhile, Ofcom continues to accrue evidence to back up its policy. The regulator found that eight percent of children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month – including around 3 percent of 8-9-year-olds.

“Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren’t suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling,” says Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom group director of online safety. “But for too long children have been only a click away from harmful pornography online. Now, change is happening. These age checks will bring pornography into line with how we treat adult services in the real world, without compromising access and privacy for over-18s.”

The July 25 deadline applies not just to dedicated porn sites, but to all sites that allow pornography or harmful content such as material promoting suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. This applies to social media, search and gaming services. Ofcom says monitoring compliance is a high priority, pointing to investigations it has already launched as just the tip of the spear.

Under the Online Safety Act, online pornography services must keep written records explaining how they protect users from a breach of laws. Ofcom says it will release its own document next year, “looking into the use of age assurance and its effectiveness,” presumably along the lines of the recently concluded Australian Age Assurance Technology Trial.

Age verification, estimation providers ready to step up

Ofcom is surely pleased with the public commitments from major porn providers – and so is industry.

Julie Dawson, chief policy and regulatory officer at Yoti and a co-chair of the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), says the pledge “marks a significant milestone in making the UK a safer place for children online,” and that Yoti is “ready to support any provider to meet their obligations with our range of robust, privacy-preserving age solutions.”

Lina Ghazal, head of regulatory and public affairs at VerifyMy, praises Ofcom’s handling of the issue. “The regulator has avoided an ‘us versus them’ scenario with content providers and deserves credit for engaging early on to highlight the Online Safety Act’s implications, as well as key milestones,” she says. “While online age checks are a wind of change for the adult industry, today’s news suggests platforms seem ready to ride the wave.”

Government could address ‘gaps’ with future measures

In keeping with the rollout of tech-targeted laws globally, the UK government says the rollout of the Online Safety Act is going very well, except for where it’s not.

As reported in MLex, MP Feryal Clark, a junior minister for AI and the digital economy, says implementation is going to plan – but notes that online platforms “could see further measures to plug any gaps that are found.”

“Where there are gaps, we are not afraid to act.”

The statement suggests that the regulatory pudding is not yet set, and is liable to evolve as it plays out in practice.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometric age estimation  |  biometrics  |  Ofcom  |  Online Safety Act  |  UK age verification  |  VerifyMy  |  Yoti