Latest news with #OnlineSafetyBill
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
OFCOM discourages VPN use to avoid age verification checks – but privacy advocates see no alternative
If you live in the UK, you will have seen the news that OFCOM's Online Safety Bill age-verification law has come into effect. It has been developed to protect children from harmful content – but there are serious flaws. For most privacy advocates, the idea of letting a website's AI tool scan, analyse and keep a copy of your facial data is a step too far. Uploading copies of official documents is equally unpalatable, particularly when many of these sites will have little-to-know track record of looking after such sensitive user data. Instead, users will likely reach for their own privacy solution, such as a VPN, to keep them safe. NordVPN – our top pick for private browsingAfter testing and reviewing dozens of VPNs, NordVPN came out on top. It's a well-balanced package with great speeds, servers in 126 countries, and excellent privacy credentials. It's also very effective at accessing geo-blocked content on sites like Netflix. One subscription covers 10 devices, and plans start at a reasonable $2.91 per month ($81.36 plus tax up front for 28 months). There's a 30-day refund period in case you don't like it. There's plenty of recent evidence that even large corporations are incapable of protecting customer data. Earlier this year, UK retailers Marks and Spencer and Co-op were brought to their knees by cyber attacks, and reams of names, contact information and even home addresses were stolen. Companies like Google and Meta have built their business models on collecting as much personal data as possible. Other companies harvest what they can and sell it to the highest bidder. Who's to say one of these age-verification applications won't be hacked, or simply auction off your likeness and driving licence? What's more, we already know that the restrictions don't work properly. For example, Reddit relies on NSFW community moderators to tag their content as such. Should any of these communities go under the radar – which many do – this content will not require age verification to view. Similarly, adult sites with low UK traffic are still freely available. This is due to the way the Online Safety Bill is enforced. The websites themselves must enforce age verification, and if a particular website doesn't see much traffic from the UK, there's no reason for it to abide by the bill. The protection of children from harmful adult content is important, but the current system of age verification is deeply flawed, easily sidestepped, and puts the online privacy of tens of millions of people at critical risk. Any VPN that allows you to choose which server you connect will be able to help. However, the best VPNs aren't just for accessing blocked content or streaming a Netflix show only available in Canada. They're the perfect starting point for taking your online privacy more seriously – and avoiding uploading your face to an age-verification app is just the start. By encrypting your data, they hide what you're doing online from anyone watching. Typically, this is your internet provider – some are known to collect and sell your browsing habits – but it could also be your college administrator, or even a hacker on an unsecured Wi-Fi network. At Tom's Guide, we've tested dozens, and there are a handful we can wholeheartedly recommend as user-friendly, privacy-focused services that do what they say on the tin. Our top pick is NordVPN, but Surfshark is a cheaper alternative. ExpressVPN is a little more expensive, but comes with a huge suite of extra tools like cyber insurance and personal data removal. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
We checked porn sites at work - for one very important reason
It's not often your boss asks if you could check out a few porn websites at work. Today, though, there's a very good reason for doing so – one of the biggest changes to the way people access porn has come into effect. Two decades ago, smut was usually found in a magazine on the top shelf at your local supermarket or in the dimly lit section of a video rental shop. That landscape is almost unrecognisable today. Pornography, from 'single ladies in your area' to violent imagery, can be accessed with just a few clicks. But from today, millions of adults trying to access pornography in the UK will be required to prove that they are over the age of 18 under the sweeping Online Safety Bill. So we thought we would see how it's going – how many porn sites have introduced checks, and how effective are they? Under the act, pornography companies, social media platforms and other services will be required to introduce age-verification measures to prevent children from accessing certain content. Guidelines by the media regulator Ofcom say age-checks must be 'technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair'. Self-reporting checkboxes that allow anyone to claim they're 18 or over on porn websites will be replaced by document checks, age-estimating face scans, credit card validations and more, said Pavel Goldman Kalaydin, head of AI/ML at global verification and anti-fraud leader at Sumsub. 'Superficial, easily bypassed forms of age gating are no longer acceptable,' he told Metro. 'Everything will hinge on whether the systems put in place now meet the definition of 'robust' set out in the legislation.' Kalaydin said XXX websites can meet this by doing multi-step processes, such as combining document inspections with artificial intelligence (AI). 'An AI-powered neural network scans a face and creates a 3D map to analyse movement, facial features, lighting, and other key signs of reality,' he added. 'This same process can be used to estimate age, by looking at specific features and tell-tale signs of age, like 'crows feet' for example. While accuracy is improving, though, it isn't 100%.' If adult websites don't comply with theOnline Safety Act, they can be fined up to 10% of their worldwide revenue by Ofcom. Sites based outside the UK also need to implement age checks. While adult content sites will be expected to do this, social media sites such as X and Reddit have also agreed to introduce verification. The most visited pornographic services in the UK, like PornHub, YouPorn and RedTube, confirmed to Ofcom they'll be complying with the age checks last month. When accessing them, a pop-up reads: 'To continue, we are required to verify that you are 18 or older, in line with the UK Online Safety Act.' PornHub directs users to a verification tool, AllpassTrust, where they can be sent a code via email or phone number to view pornography. According to the site's Age Verification Page, Ofcom lists email and mobile network age checks as 'highly effective age assurance measures'. Other pornographic websites Metro looked at now ask people to 'pass AI age verification'. On one site Metro tried, a tool accesses the user's webcam to scan their face – but the image shown on the screen is blurred 'for privacy protection'. Yet some 18+ websites still only require users to create an account and, by doing so, 'certify' that they are 18 or over. Others had no such requirement at all, though they tended to websites akin to a catalogue, where porn clips can be accessed and the full version is available on a different site. A few porn tubes are openly defying the age-check mandate, with XVideos having a link on its front page to a blog post: 'The Scam of Age Verification.' The post touches on concerns from critics, including sex workers, tech firms, free speech advocates and privacy groups, who fear that age-verification measures will undercut privacy and harm free expression. The June post reads: 'The government claims it's needed to catch edge cases – but in reality, it's about shifting responsibility away from parents and ISPs, and dumping it onto websites like ours. 'This, despite the fact that a parent already had to take conscious steps to enable access to adult content for their household, and was prompted to set up parental controls on every device they purchased.' Bellesa, a self-described feminist porn site, can no longer be accessed from the UK. A notice says the law is 'flawed and inadvertently hinders creators from legally sharing their adult content and freedom of artistic expression'. One of the most shocking aspects of how pornography has changed over the years is how it has affected children. The NSPCC told Metro that between April last year and March this year, there were 788 Childline calls where the young person mentioned pornography. They included children who were just 10 years old. One 15-year-old said: 'I know I've got an addiction to adult content. It's all I can think about. I tried to go fully offline for a week recently to stop and I couldn't even do that.' Speaking to Metro, Rani Govender of the NSPCC said the children's charity is 'pleased' that enforcement was beginning on the law. She said: I think we shouldn't underestimate how far this technology has come in terms of its accuracy and in terms of its ability to quickly identify children compared to adults, and to do this in a safe and privacy-preserving way.' However, Rani added there were still some questions over whether the measure will mean people – including children – will be pushed towards less mainstream sources. She said: 'Something that we've been concerned about as the implementation goes on is that as the mainstream and more public sites become safer, harms will migrate further into smaller sites or into private messaging spaces. 'If children aren't accessing harmful material in the public spaces, it will become increasingly circulated in the private ones.' David Wright, the director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, told Metro that the bill brings 'much-needed accountability'. 'While the scale and complexity of online harms continue to evolve, regulation must always keep pace,' he said. Many of the porn websites Metro looked at used Yoti, a company that develops digital ID cards and facial age estimation software. Julia Dawson, Yoti's chief policy and regulatory officer, said the act could help 'solve one of the internet's biggest challenges: how to keep young people safe from harmful content without sacrificing privacy'. She added: 'The costs of inaction could be painful – time to protect users and your business before Ofcom comes knocking.' More Trending But age-check tools aren't foolproof, with Kalaydin warning that deepfake technology is being increasingly used to create phoney documents which can bypass verification. While Ryan T Williams, an online safety expert and father of one, told Metro that regulators need to be wary of virtual private networks (VPNs). These services dig a digital tunnel that shields browsing information from internet service providers. 'VPN sites and sales will also need policing to make this effective,' he said. 'There needs to also be a bigger push on social media sites banning profiles and content, as adult content is easily shared on platforms, such as X, where ID would not be required.' XVideos has been contacted for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Inside Lionesses teammates Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh's 'romance' on and off pitch MORE: My lover praised my oral skills – but I wasn't happy MORE: The way you watch porn is changing today — here's everything you need to know
New Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Online Safety Act gazetted, enforcement pending completion of regulations
KUALA LUMPUR: The Online Safety Act 2024 will be enforced once the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) finalises 10 regulations needed to implement the law. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the MCMC has been tasked with drafting the regulations. "Five have been completed and there are five more that we need to manage, some of which involve ongoing discussions with industry stakeholders," he told reporters after attending the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) Open Day today. Fahmi said the act was gazetted on May 22. "We need a bit more time to finalise these regulations," he added. Fahmi said he had discussed with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said on the formation of the Online Safety Committee, which will be established under her purview, as stipulated in the act. "I see no issue with setting up the committee while the guidelines are still being developed and finalised," he added. On June 16, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the Online Safety Act 2024 received royal assent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. She said the law had been gazetted and now awaits the signature of Fahmi to set the enforcement date. Azalina said once signed and the law came into effect, the government would be able to immediately take down unlawful postings. According to the law, there are also expectations on the platform providers to have a certain duty of care. The Dewan Rakyat in December last year gave the nod to the Online Safety Bill which requires social media platform providers to comply with three main responsibilities, namely ensuring platform safety, protecting children under 13 and restricting access to harmful content. These platforms would also need to submit an annual Digital Safety Plan detailing their safety strategies and accomplishments. Meanwhile, in another development, Fahmi said the Malaysian Media Council will be involved in developing guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media sector. "Based on the journalism code of ethics we have developed previously, we can have a similar set of guidelines for AI use. "With the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council, I believe it has an important role to play. By involving the council, industry stakeholders as well as the government and ministry, we can carefully assess the benefits and exercise necessary caution when using AI, particularly in the media sector.
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Crackdown on online sale of banned products
PETALING JAYA: The government is ramping up efforts to crack down on the online sale of banned products, including vape liquids laced with narcotics, with a high-level meeting set to take place soon, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Speaking at a weekly media conference yesterday, he said the meeting, involving the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Health and Communications ministries, reflects growing concern over illegal products being openly sold online without adequate control. 'Following the meeting, we will present the outcomes to the Cabinet, which will be followed by appropriate action, either against the sellers or the platforms enabling such sales.' On updates to the Online Safety Bill, Fahmi said the next step is for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to finalise a draft of the regulations that would be enforced under the Bill. 'Once that is done, a regulatory committee will be established by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), who will have oversight powers over the Bill's implementation. This process is expected to take place in the coming weeks.' Fahmi said there are no major updates regarding the Sales and Service Tax (SST), but the second finance minister is expected to provide further clarification soon. He said the government takes public feedback seriously, and that revenue from the expanded SST would be used to fund schools, hospitals and other public projects. 'With stronger efforts to curb leakage and corruption, we believe SST collections would benefit more Malaysians.' Fahmi said ministers were briefed on the draft of the 13th Malaysia Plan by Economy Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Nor Azmie Diron. The plan is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the session beginning July 21, and presented on July 28. Amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran, Fahmi said the Foreign Ministry has made arrangements for registered Malaysians, including those working, studying or representing agencies to depart Iran, with visa preparations completed. He said their departure is expected by June 20.
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia targets online sale of banned vape, narcotics
PETALING JAYA: The government is ramping up efforts to crack down on the online sale of banned products, including vape liquids laced with narcotics, with a high-level meeting set to take place soon, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Speaking at a weekly media conference yesterday, he said the meeting, involving the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Health and Communications ministries, reflects growing concern over illegal products being openly sold online without adequate control. 'Following the meeting, we will present the outcomes to the Cabinet, which will be followed by appropriate action, either against the sellers or the platforms enabling such sales.' On updates to the Online Safety Bill, Fahmi said the next step is for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to finalise a draft of the regulations that would be enforced under the Bill. 'Once that is done, a regulatory committee will be established by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), who will have oversight powers over the Bill's implementation. This process is expected to take place in the coming weeks.' Fahmi said there are no major updates regarding the Sales and Service Tax (SST), but the second finance minister is expected to provide further clarification soon. He said the government takes public feedback seriously, and that revenue from the expanded SST would be used to fund schools, hospitals and other public projects. 'With stronger efforts to curb leakage and corruption, we believe SST collections would benefit more Malaysians.' Fahmi said ministers were briefed on the draft of the 13th Malaysia Plan by Economy Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Nor Azmie Diron. The plan is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the session beginning July 21, and presented on July 28. Amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran, Fahmi said the Foreign Ministry has made arrangements for registered Malaysians, including those working, studying or representing agencies to depart Iran, with visa preparations completed. He said their departure is expected by June 20.
