Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tech

BBFC set to be new age-checking porn watchdog

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will be resp..

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will be responsible for ensuring online pornography websites are verifying the ages of visitors.

New laws passed as part of the Digital Economy Act will require websites hosting pornographic material to verify the ages of visitors from the UK or face being blocked by internet service providers (ISPs).

In a proposal announced by the Government on Thursday, the BBFC's experience in classifying age-rated content will help it regulate whether websites are verifying their users' ages.

Under the new law, it will be insufficient for websites to simply ask visitors if they are over 18. Instead pornography consumers will need to verify their age, most probably by confirming their financial details.

The minister for digital, Matt Hancock, said: "One of the missions of age verification is to harness the freedom of the internet while mitigating its harms.

"Offline, as a society we protect children from viewing inappropriate adult material by ensuring pornography is sold responsibly using appropriate age checks.

"It is now time that the online world follows suit. The BBFC are the best placed in the world to do this important and delicate task."

The law has drawn concerns from privacy campaigners, pornographers, and cyber security professionals.

Video:Calls For Porn Site Age Checks

Academics have warned that it risks exposing the UK to hacking incidents similar to that which hit adultery website Ashley Madison in 2015.

Dr Victoria Nash of the Oxford Internet Institute told Sky News she had questions regarding the law.

She said: "Database hacks are still common, and the information being collected across pornography sites could be stolen and used to blackmail politicians or other high-profile figures.

"Our report notably did not conclude that age verification would have a significant impact on children viewing pornography online.

"It may address the number of children stumbling across it, but it would not deter those who want to directly access it, nor will it address the issue of the coerced creation of images," she added.

Additionally, supporters of the UK's domestic pornography industry claim it is being put at risk by the costs of enrolling in the scheme.

Feminist pornographer Pandora/Blake told Sky News that the Government was refusing to engage with producers who are concerned the laws will harm their business.

"Age checks are going to be expensive," they said, noting figures given to them ranged from £0.05 to £1.50 per age check.

More from Tech

"If you know anything about the economics of porn you realise that if you're paying a cost per viewer, rather than per customer, then you're going to be orders of magnitude making a loss."

The Government said it will "shortly publish guidance on how the regulator should fulfil is duties in relation to age verification".

Original Article

[contf] [contfnew]

Sky News

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]

The post BBFC set to be new age-checking porn watchdog appeared first on News Wire Now.

Finance

In an interview with ET Now, Dabur India Director Mohit Burm..

Science

The 147th Open championship will be at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland. Jan Kruger/R&A Golfers ..

Tech

Enlarge Oliver Morris/Getty Images) In response to an Ars re..

Tech

Enlarge/ You wouldn't really want to use Nvidia's ..