Age verification UK explained: How is it impacting the UK?
This means that age verification tools are now being used on sites where they could access harmful content.
Here's all you need to know about the new rules and how they are being implemented.
Well done to everyone who campaigned to ensure age verification for pornography was in the Online Safety Act!
Today it comes into force and while no doubt there will be some who get around it, it means young kids in particular won't be stumbling on violent and harmful porn. pic.twitter.com/LGtISAmReC
The Online Safety Act is a piece of legislation that received Royal Assent on October 26, 2023, with the aim of protecting children and adults online.
The Government website adds: "It puts a range of new duties on social media companies and search services, giving them legal duties to protect their users from illegal content and content harmful to children.
"The Act gives providers new duties to implement systems and processes to reduce risks their services are used for illegal activity, and to take down illegal content when it does appear.
As of July 25, internet platforms have a legal duty to protect children from harmful content.
Companies within the scope of the act must introduce safety measures as part of this, which include age verification.
The Guardian reports: "This means all pornography sites must have in place rigorous age-checking procedures."
They continued: "Social media platforms and large search engines must also prevent children from accessing pornography and material that promotes or encourages suicide, self-harm and eating disorders."
Platforms will also have to suppress other material that could be potentially harmful to children.
This could include "the promotion of dangerous stunts, encouraging the use of harmful substances and enabling bullying".
Ofcom, the media regulator, has set out a number of ways websites can verify the age of users.
This can be done through credit card checks, photo ID matching and estimating age using a selfie.
Whatever format platforms choose, they must be "technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair," BBC News reports.
Pornhub and a number of other major adult websites have confirmed they will introduce enhanced age checks, BBC News reports.
Recommended reading:
90 per cent of passwords can be hacked in under 6 hours (How to improve yours)
Tech expert reveals 5 habits that are killing your iPhone battery life
Mobile expert reveals 5 ways you can save money on your phone bill
Reddit has already introduced checks to stop people aged under 18 from looking at "certain mature content", while X and Grindr have committed to this as well.
Discord gives UK users a choice of face or ID scanning as a way to verify their age, after testing methods, and Bluesky says it will give UK users a range of different verification options, external.
BBC News adds: "Many more services which allow sexually explicit material may need to bring in measures to comply with the new rules."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
17 minutes ago
- Times
Jimmy Savile would have targeted children online today, says minister
It is 'inconceivable' that Jimmy Savile would not have targeted children online today, a cabinet minister has said, as she appeared to double down on accusations that Reform was aligning itself with predators. Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, had accused Nigel Farage siding with 'people like Jimmy Savile' with his opposition to new online safety laws. On Wednesday, Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, repeatedly refused to repeat the comment but told Times Radio: 'I think the point that Peter was making is that predators today, sexual predators today, operate online. 'And if social media had been around in the same way as it is today, when Jimmy Savile was committing those crimes against young children, then it's inconceivable that Jimmy Savile wouldn't have been in the online space as well. 'It is a fact that Nigel Farage and the Reform Party have said that they would repeal the Online Safety Act in its entirety, when of course some of the most significant provisions of that legislation is to protect children from predators, from seeing pornographic material on their phones and on their computers. 'And so Nigel Farage doesn't like the truth of the matter when my colleague explains to him the importance of the Online Safety Act and why he is so wrong to be wanting to repeal it.' Farage has said Kyle's comments were 'below the belt' and 'so absolutely disgusting that it's almost beyond belief'. He said: 'I bow to nobody in my determination to protect families and children. But I will not allow the government to hide behind children while attacking the fundamental British value of freedom of speech — and the liberty to tell the truth.' However, the technology secretary stood by his comments. Writing in the Telegraph on Tuesday night he said: 'When Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, boasts about his plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, it makes my blood boil.' He said repealing the law would 'benefit' registered sex offenders and 'other disgusting predators who contact children and groom them online'. He said: 'I cannot understand how anyone can be against these measures. How could anyone question our duty to keep children safe online — particularly when it comes to child sexual abuse content and from online grooming? 'That's why I am so angry that Mr Farage thinks it's OK to promise to get rid of an act of parliament he clearly has not read and does not understand. It shows he is not serious about governing or keeping children safe. Instead, he is deliberately misleading the public. 'Now I've been criticised for getting angry at Mr Farage for his wilful disregard for the safety of children online, but I make no apologies for putting the interests of vulnerable children ahead of the interests of predators and child abusers, and the Reform leader's ego.' Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide. Zia Yusuf, the former Reform chairman, has said that the laws work to 'suppress freedom of speech' and 'force social media companies to censor anti-government speech'. Kyle had told Sky News earlier in the day: 'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.' Farage said: 'Just how low can the Labour government sink in its desperation? Yes, of course they're in trouble. They're well behind us in the opinion polls. But frankly, to say that I would do anything that would in any way aid and abet people like Jimmy Savile, it's so below the belt it's almost not true.'
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
DWP update on new bank monitoring powers to tackle benefit fraud
The DWP will soon be able to force banks to hand over private financial details in what ministers have called the "biggest fraud crackdown in a generation" Millions of benefit claimants could have their bank accounts scrutinised by the Government under contentious new "snooping" powers being introduced by Labour. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will soon have the authority to demand banks disclose private financial details as part of what ministers are dubbing the "biggest fraud crackdown in a generation". The plans are in the spotlight as a minister gave an update on the looming powers. The extensive measures are included in the Fraud, Error and Debt Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. Ministers maintain that these changes will assist in identifying those falsely claiming benefits, such as people with savings exceeding £16,000 who are not eligible for Universal Credit. However, critics argue that the Government is establishing a "system of mass financial surveillance" that could inadvertently ensnare innocent people. Baroness Maeve Sherlock, a DWP minister in the House of Lords, disclosed new aspects of the policy this week – including the crucial provision known as the Eligibility Verification Measure, which will compel banks to comply with official data requests. This will enable DWP agents to request personal details from financial institutions, including a claimant's name, date of birth, sort code, account number – and importantly, whether the account appears to violate benefit eligibility rules. Baroness Sherlock said: 'The information that can be requested under an Eligibility Verification Notice will include basic information about the account holder, such as name and date of birth, and the sort code and account number. Agents may also request information about whether the account meets eligibility requirements.' The powers are set to be rolled out in stages over the next 12 months, starting with a small group of banks. Officials say the crackdown is designed to recover an estimated £1.5 billion over five years by tackling fraud and correcting errors early – before they spiral into large amounts of unmanageable debt. A DWP spokesperson said: 'Our Fraud, Error and Recovery Bill includes an Eligibility Verification Measure which will require banks to share limited data on claimants who may wrongly be receiving benefits – such as those on Universal Credit with savings over £16,000. 'As well as tackling fraud, the new powers will also help us find genuine claim errors sooner, stopping people building up unmanageable debt. This measure does not give DWP access to any benefit claimants' bank accounts.' However, the proposals have already triggered fierce opposition from privacy advocates, who argue the fresh powers extend well beyond what is required. Civil liberties organisation Big Brother Watch told The Independent: "It threatens to usher in an unprecedented system of mass financial surveillance." Baroness Sherlock also confirmed that the DWP will also gain powers to directly seize money from individuals using Direct Deduction Orders – similar to those used by HMRC and the Child Maintenance Service. She stated that the department anticipates making between 5,000 and 20,000 deduction orders annually. The DWP argues that these measures are an essential tool for swiftly recovering money where overpayments have occurred. However, critics worry they could result in hardship for families already grappling with the cost-of-living crisis. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has maintained that the powers are necessary to "restore trust in the welfare system" – but opposition voices are expected to intensify as the bill approaches the statute books.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Recruitment for public transport police force could begin by end of next year
Recruitment for a public transport police force could begin by the end of next year. Plans are underway to introduce legislation to create uniform security, which would have powers of arrest and detention. Advertisement The Government is considering the measure as a method to improve safety on trains, buses, and trams, and encourage more people to use the service. Transport Minister, Darragh O'Brien, said there is a clear need for the presence. "Those who don't use public transport have a worse perception of it but it is one of the reasons why people who don't use it, don't use it," he said. "There are certain backspots. We have started the work already on the creation of a transport security force. "We will have to bring in legislation, and it will supplement the work the guards are doing. This will be a state security force, and what we're looking at is powers of pursuit."
