Tag Archives: traffic

UK Traffic to Popular Adult Sites Declines Following Introduction of Age Verification

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Since the implementation of stringent age verification measures last month, visits to popular adult websites in the UK have seen a significant decline, according to recent data.

Daily traffic to PornHub, the most frequented porn site in the UK, dropped by 47%, from 3.6 million on July 24 to 1.9 million on August 8.

Data from digital market intelligence firm Sircerweb indicates that the next popular platforms, Xvideos and Xhamster, also experienced declines of 47% and 39% during the same period.

As reported initially by the Financial Times, this downturn seems to reflect the enforcement of strict age verification rules commencing on July 25 under the Online Safety Act. However, social media platforms implementing similar age checks for age-restricted materials, like X and Reddit, did not experience similar traffic declines.

A representative from Pornhub remarked, “As we have observed in various regions globally, compliant sites often see a decrease in traffic, while non-compliant ones may see an increase.”

The Online Safety Act aims to shield children from harmful online content, mandating that any site or app providing pornographic material must prevent access by minors.

Ofcom, the overseeing body for this law in the UK, endorses age verification methods such as: verifying age via credit card providers, banks, or mobile network operators; matching photo ID with a live selfie; or using a “digital identity wallet” for age verification.

Additionally, the law requires platforms to block access to content that could be harmful to children, including materials that incite self-harm or promote dangerous behaviors, which has sparked tension over concerns of excessive regulation.

Ofcom contends that the law does not infringe upon freedom of expression, highlighting clauses intended to protect free speech. Non-compliance can lead to penalties ranging from formal warnings to fines amounting to 10% of global revenue, with serious violations potentially resulting in websites being blocked in the UK.

Nigel Farage’s Reform British Party has vowed to repeal the act following the age verification requirement, igniting a heated exchange where the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, was accused by Farage of making inappropriate comments.

The implementation of age checks has accordingly led to a surge in virtual private network (VPN) downloads, as users seek to circumvent national restrictions on certain websites. VPN applications frequently dominate the top five spots in Apple’s App Store.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Evolution of Traffic Lights

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Red, yellow, and green are now the colors of traffic lights, but that wasn’t always the case. The first (and disastrous) attempt to install a traffic light occurred on December 10, 1868, which also marks the official date of the installation of the world’s first traffic light. It was located in front of the British Parliament in London and consisted of two movable signs mounted on lever-operated arms, illuminated at the top for visibility at night. Unfortunately, the unlucky scoreboard didn’t last long, as it exploded less than two months later, killing the police officer who was putting up the sign.

Traffic lights started to be installed worldwide with the advent of electricity in cities. Cleveland (USA) was home to the first two-color traffic light operating on electricity. Detroit and New York added yellow between red and green in 1920. In Europe, Paris saw the first traffic lights in 1923, followed by other major cities. A year later, Berlin, Milan, Rome, London, Prague, and Barcelona also installed traffic lights.

The first treaty on the unification of road signals was signed in Geneva in 1931 with the goal of enhancing road traffic safety and facilitating international traffic on roads with standardized traffic lights. Most of the signs seen on streets today were established by this agreement, making the three colors of red, yellow, and green the standard for traffic lights. The choice of colors for traffic lights was inspired by railway traffic conditions, where red indicated stopping, white indicated moving, and green indicated caution. The introduction of yellow was to address the confusion caused by white, which could easily be mistaken for starlight at night.

When it comes to color perception, red has the longest wavelength, followed by yellow and green. Longer wavelengths travel farther, which is why colors with longer wavelengths are chosen for signal transmission. As a result, red light can travel the farthest, making it visible even in conditions like rain or fog.

sauce: dnevnik.hr

Source: hitechub.com