Ofcom has announced new measures in the UK to prevent children from accessing online pornography, including requiring users to have their faces scanned.
Enforcement guidelines issued on Thursday apply to social media platforms like OnlyFans and Pornhub, with children no longer able to simply claim to be 18 to view porn online.
Adults will need to prove their age using methods such as facial age estimation, credit card verification, and photo ID checks.
Effective age verification checks will be enforced this spring for services displaying pornographic content, with violations potentially resulting in fines of up to 10% of a company’s turnover.
The UK Children’s Commissioner reported that the average age for children to first encounter porn is 13, highlighting the need for stricter age verification measures.
Ofcom emphasized the importance of online safety, with chief executive Melanie Dawes stating that companies must take responsibility for preventing children from being exposed to harmful content.
Alternative age verification methods, such as using email addresses or automatic facial age estimation, are being considered to avoid the need for face scans.
Social media platforms may implement “age gates” at the post level to restrict access to adult content.
Despite the challenges of regulating thousands of porn providers globally, Ofcom is committed to enforcing online safety laws effectively.
The new rules require sites to verify age before displaying pornographic content, ensuring privacy rights are respected and legal pornography can be accessed responsibly.
Source: www.theguardian.com
