Age Verification Now Required Online
▼ Summary
– The UK now requires rigorous age verification (face scans, ID uploads, credit card checks) for accessing pornography, replacing self-reporting checkboxes on major sites like Pornhub.
– Similar age-check laws are spreading globally, targeting adult content, social media, and harmful material, with recent rulings in the US, France, Ireland, and Australia.
– Privacy advocates warn age verification threatens anonymous online access, including sensitive topics like LGBTQ+ or reproductive health content.
– Recent legal actions, like US Supreme Court rulings and Australian social media bans, are accelerating the adoption of age-verification technologies worldwide.
– Age-checking is already widespread, with companies like Yoti conducting millions of daily verifications across gaming, dating, and retail sectors.
New UK regulations now mandate strict age verification for accessing adult content online, marking a significant shift in digital child protection policies. Starting immediately, users attempting to visit pornography sites in the UK must confirm they are over 18 through methods like facial recognition scans, ID uploads, or credit card verification. Major platforms such as Pornhub and YouPorn have already committed to compliance, while social networks like Reddit, Discord, and X are implementing similar checks to restrict minors from harmful material.
This move reflects a broader global trend, with governments increasingly pushing for robust age verification to shield children from inappropriate content. Beyond adult sites, the UK’s Online Safety Act now requires checks for platforms hosting material related to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders. While the goal of safeguarding minors is widely supported, critics argue these measures raise serious privacy and free speech concerns.
Experts warn that age verification could undermine anonymous browsing, a cornerstone of internet freedom. Riana Pfefferkorn, a Stanford University researcher, highlights the risks: “Adults have the right to access sensitive content privately, while minors may be blocked from vital information on topics like sexual health or LGBTQ issues due to political biases.”
The momentum for stricter age checks has accelerated globally. Recent US Supreme Court rulings enable states to enforce verification on porn sites, prompting Pornhub to block access in over 20 states. France’s courts have upheld similar requirements, Ireland has rolled out checks for video platforms, and Australia is set to ban social media for under-16s by year-end. The European Commission is even trialing a dedicated age-verification app.
Lisa Given, an Australian information sciences professor, cautions that these changes could disrupt how people search online: “If users avoid logging in to bypass checks, it may fragment their browsing experience and erode the privacy they expect from open searches.”
The age-verification industry is booming, with companies like Yoti reporting over 850 million checks completed globally. Their technology, which includes AI-driven facial analysis, is now used across sectors, from gaming and dating to retail and vaping. Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom recommends seven approved verification methods, most of which rely on third-party providers rather than direct checks by websites.
While these measures aim to create a safer digital environment, the balance between protection and privacy remains contentious. As age verification becomes the norm worldwide, its long-term impact on internet accessibility and user rights continues to spark debate.
(Source: Wired)
