Latest news with #MattNavarra
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
4chan and porn site investigated by Ofcom over online safety
The online message board 4chan is being investigated by the UK communications regulator over failure to comply with recently introduced online safety rules. Ofcom says it has received complaints over potential illegal content on the website, which has not responded to its requests for information. Under the Online Safety Act, online services must assess the risk of UK users encountering illegal content and activity on their platforms, and take steps to protect them from it. Ofcom is also investigating porn provider First Time Videos over its age verification checks, and seven file sharing services over potential child sexual abuse material. 4chan has been contacted for comment. Ofcom says it requested 4chan's risk assessment in April but has not had any response. The regulator will now investigate whether the platform "has failed, or is failing, to comply with its duties to protect its users from illegal content". It would not say what kind of illegal content it is investigating. Ofcom has the power to fine companies up to 10% of their global revenues, or £18m - whichever is the greater number. 4chan has often been at the heart of online controversies in its 22 years, including misogynistic campaigns and conspiracy theories. Users are anonymous, which can often lead to extreme content being posted. It was the subject of an alleged hack earlier this year, which took parts of the website down for over a week. How can you keep your child safe online? Seven file sharing services also failed to respond to requests for information from the regulator. They are Krakenfiles, Nippybox, Nippydrive, Nippyshare, Nippyspace and Yolobit. Ofcom also says it has received complaints over potential child sexual abuse material being shared on these platforms. Separately, porn provider First Time Videos, which runs two websites, is being investigated into whether it has adequate age checks in place to stop under-18s accessing its sites. Platforms which host age-restricted content must have "robust" age checks in place by July. Ofcom does not specify exactly what this means, but some platforms have been trialling age verification using facial scanning to estimate a user's age. Social media expert Matt Navarra told BBC News earlier this year facial scanning could become the norm in the UK. Two porn sites investigated for suspected age check failings Pornhub leaves France over age verification law Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Discord's face scanning age checks 'start of a bigger shift'
Discord is testing face scanning to verify some users' ages in the UK and Australia. The social platform, which says it has over 200 million monthly users around the world, was initially used by gamers but now has communities on a wide range of topics including pornography. The UK's online safety laws mean platforms with adult content will need have "robust" age verification in place by July. And social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC "this isn't a one-off - it's the start of a bigger shift". "Regulators want real proof, and facial recognition might be the fastest route there," he said. But campaigners have said these types of checks are ineffective and could lead to privacy issues. "Age assurance is becoming the new seatbelt for the internet," said Mr Navarra. "Will it become the norm in the UK? Honestly, yes, probably." He said he believed the incoming changes in online safety laws mean online platforms would beef up their age verification processes. "The era of 'click here to confirm you're 13' is dead," he said. "Get age verification wrong now, and you don't just lose users - you could lose a courtroom battle or incur fines." Firms which do not comply with the Online Safety Act could be fined up to 10% of their global turnover. Instagram previously brought in age checks using facial recognition in 2022 for users who want to change their profile settings to be over 18. The social media company requires users to take a selfie video on their phone and uses AI to estimate the person's age. Like Discord, they can alternatively upload a picture of their photo ID. How can you keep your child safe online? The US-based platform says the verification - which it describes as "an experiment" - will be a one-time check. It will apply the first time a user comes across content which it has flagged as sensitive, or if they change their settings on viewing sensitive media. Users can either use the face scanner or upload a photo of their ID to confirm their age. It says information used for age checks will not be stored by Discord or the verification company. Face scans will stay on the device and not be collected, and ID uploads will be deleted after the verification is complete, according to the company. Content which is flagged as sensitive is already automatically blocked or blurred for teenagers. Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch says age check technology "shouldn't be seen as a silver bullet solution". Senior Advocacy Officer Madeleine Stone says they can pose a risk to users, "including security breaches, privacy intrusion, errors, digital exclusion and censorship". While industry group the Age Verification Providers Association says there is a "wide range of convenient, privacy-preserving methods". Their executive director Iain Corby told the BBC the latest technology can estimate age "within 1-2 years based on a selfie or how you move your hands". But he also said platforms have a choice on how to use age verification. "They can remove the harmful content altogether, apply age checks to access the whole site, or just check ages before allowing access to high-risk pages and posts," he said. Australia is planning to bring in a social media ban for all under-16s this year. Recent research found more than 80% of Australian children aged eight to 12 use social media or messaging services that are only meant to be for over-13s Meta expands restrictions for teen users to Facebook and Messenger Leave school phone bans to head teachers, children's commissioner says
BBC News
17-04-2025
- BBC News
Discord's face scanning age checks 'start of a bigger shift'
Discord is testing face scanning to verify some users' ages in the UK and social platform, which says it has over 200 million monthly users around the world, was initially used by gamers but now has communities on a wide range of topics including UK's online safety laws mean platforms with adult content will need have "robust" age verification in place by social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC "this isn't a one-off - it's the start of a bigger shift"."Regulators want real proof, and facial recognition might be the fastest route there," he said. But campaigners have said these types of checks are ineffective and could lead to privacy issues."Age assurance is becoming the new seatbelt for the internet," said Mr Navarra. "Will it become the norm in the UK? Honestly, yes, probably."He said he believed the incoming changes in online safety laws mean online platforms would beef up their age verification processes."The era of 'click here to confirm you're 13' is dead," he said."Get age verification wrong now, and you don't just lose users - you could lose a courtroom battle or incur fines."Firms which do not comply with the Online Safety Act could be fined up to 10% of their global previously brought in age checks using facial recognition in 2022 for users who want to change their profile settings to be over 18. The social media company requires users to take a selfie video on their phone and uses AI to estimate the person's age. Like Discord, they can alternatively upload a picture of their photo ID. The US-based platform says the verification - which it describes as "an experiment" - will be a one-time will apply the first time a user comes across content which it has flagged as sensitive, or if they change their settings on viewing sensitive can either use the face scanner or upload a photo of their ID to confirm their says information used for age checks will not be stored by Discord or the verification company. Face scans will stay on the device and not be collected, and ID uploads will be deleted after the verification is complete, according to the which is flagged as sensitive is already automatically blocked or blurred for teenagers. 'No silver bullet' Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch says age check technology "shouldn't be seen as a silver bullet solution".Senior Advocacy Officer Madeleine Stone says they can pose a risk to users, "including security breaches, privacy intrusion, errors, digital exclusion and censorship".While industry group the Age Verification Providers Association says there is a "wide range of convenient, privacy-preserving methods".Their executive director Iain Corby told the BBC the latest technology can estimate age "within 1-2 years based on a selfie or how you move your hands".But he also said platforms have a choice on how to use age verification."They can remove the harmful content altogether, apply age checks to access the whole site, or just check ages before allowing access to high-risk pages and posts," he is planning to bring in a social media ban for all under-16s this year. Recent research found more than 80% of Australian children aged eight to 12 use social media or messaging services that are only meant to be for over-13s
