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STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
What are the UK's new online safety rules and how will they be enforced?
From Friday, websites and apps containing pornography or harmful content will require 'highly effective' age verification. The new law under the Online Safety Act enforced by the UK's communications watchdog Ofcom aims to protect children online. Research has found that most teenagers have recently seen 'potentially harmful content'. The changes will force platforms to have a duty of care toward young users. What will the new laws change? From July 25, when the law will be implemented, websites, apps, social media platforms and search engines will be required to do more to protect children. Ofcom has said that it has been too easy for children to see pornography online. According to an Ofcom survey, 8% of children aged eight to 14 had visited an online porn site or app in the previous month – including around 3% of eight to nine-year-olds – the youngest children asked. Platforms will now require a 'highly effective' barrier stopping anyone who cannot prove they are over 18. Ofcom said thousands of sites have already committed to age checks including the UK's biggest pornography site PornHub as well as dating apps and social media sites such Discord and Reddit. How can you prove your age? Websites and apps can use various methods to verify a user's age and they might carry out checks themselves or use a another company to do it for them. AI age estimation – Technology will analyse a photo of video of your face to estimate your age – Technology will analyse a photo of video of your face to estimate your age Open banking – An age-check service will securely access information from your bank about whether you are over 18 – An age-check service will securely access information from your bank about whether you are over 18 Digital ID – Services such as digital identity wallets can securely store and share information which proves your age Services such as digital identity wallets can securely store and share information which proves your age Credit card – Because you must be over 18 to have a credit card, providing your card details allows a payment processor to check if the card is valid – Because you must be over 18 to have a credit card, providing your card details allows a payment processor to check if the card is valid Email-based age estimation – Technology uses your email address to analyse other online services where it has been used, such as banking or utility providers – Technology uses your email address to analyse other online services where it has been used, such as banking or utility providers Mobile network operator – The service checks whether or not your mobile phone number has age filters applied to it – The service checks whether or not your mobile phone number has age filters applied to it Photo-ID matching – You upload an image of a document that shows your face and age, and an image of yourself at the same time – these are compared to confirm if the document is yours How will this effect social media? Social media companies have been criticised for failing to protect children online. Under the new laws, Ofcom says platforms such as Facebook and Instagram must 'configure their algorithms to filter out harmful content from children's feeds'. This includes content including self-harm, suicide, porn, eating disorders and violent content. It also includes content that is misogynistic, violent, hateful or abusive material such as online bullying and dangerous viral challenges. Platforms will also need to implement easier reporting and moderation of harmful content and must respond to complaints with appropriate action. According to Ofcom, 31% of children that go online have seen something that they found worrying or nasty. How will websites be held to account? Ofcom has said these new codes demand platforms take a 'safety-first' approach when operating in the UK. Sites and apps will not be told how to regulate their own platforms and they must carry out their own child risk assessments. But Ofcom will be responsible for enforcing these new rules. Platforms that fail to comply risk facing a fine of up to £18m or 10% of revenue and could be shut out of the UK entirely. Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom chief executive, said: 'These changes are a reset for children online. 'They will mean safer social media feeds with less harmful and dangerous content, protections from being contacted by strangers and effective age checks on adult content.' 'Ofcom has been tasked with bringing about a safer generation of children online, and if companies fail to act they will face enforcement.' STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Brits to be blocked from adult content TONIGHT with booze-style ID or face-scan checks replacing ‘ridiculous' tickbox
MILLIONS of Brits will be blocked from adult content online at midnight tonight unless they pass booze-style age checks. The new rules mean you'll need to prove you're over 18 – including by showing ID or scanning your face with a phone. 3 It affects any websites showing porn, or content linked to self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders. This includes social media apps too. The new Ofcom rules enforce the Online Safety Act, and kick in on Friday, July 25. 'It's really the rubber hitting the road,' Oliver Griffiths, group director for online safety at Ofcom, told The Sun. 'The situation at the moment is often ridiculous because people just have to self-declare what their birthday is. That's no check at all.' Major websites like PornHub, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit have already vowed to follow the rules. Reddit will remain open, but will require an age check if you attempt to view adult content on the site. Shockingly, around 8% of children aged eight to 14 have accessed online porn in a given month, Ofcom says. Boys are more likely to visit than girls (at 19% vs 11%). Now Ofcom can crack down on this behaviour, by blocking youngsters from accidentally stumbling on all kinds of adult content – not just porn. 'One is pornography. The other one is making sure that we've got highly effective age assurance in place for things that aren't illegal but are highly harmful for children,' Griffiths said, speaking to The Sun. 'So that could be suicide content, self-harm, or eating disorders. Don't risk ignoring four free iPhone tricks built to save your life 'And we will be starting an enforcement programme next week if there are websites dedicated to that who haven't got proper age gates in place for midnight tonight.' CHECK YOURSELF There are three main ways that Brits will be asked to prove their age. The first one is called an 'age estimation'. This can work by scanning your face with an approved third-party service like Yoti or Persona. 3 Or it could be estimating your age with an email check that examines if it's been linked to a household utility bill. The second option is linking back to info that's held on you. For instance, it could be checking with your bank or mobile phone company – both of which would already know if you're an adult or not. A simple computer handshake works out if you're a child or not, and then you can be cleared for access if you get the go-ahead. The third method is sharing an official document – a bit like showing your ID at the till in a supermarket. You might be asked to show your passport or driver's license online. SAFE SPACE? This might all sound like a privacy nightmare, especially if you're watching X-rated content online. But the adult websites don't actually get the personal info about you. 3 And the age-checking services aren't learning what kind of content you're trying to view either. The age-check is compliant with data protection, and simply gives the adult website a 'yes' or 'no' for your account. You'll remain anonymous and won't have your online habits linked to your identity when you do oe of these checks. Griffiths noted: 'The key bit of information that's needed is purely: is this user a child or not?' Companies are able to choose the method they want – but they can't opt out. If they breach the new rules, they face massive fines. 'These can lead, in the end, to fines of up to 10% of qualifying global revenue for these companies,' Griffiths said. 'So there's real teeth that sit behind this." THE SHOCKING STATS Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online... Ofcom stats: Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month. 15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month. Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%). Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online. Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month. Children's Commissioner stats: Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography: The average age at which children first see pornography is 13. By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13. We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18. Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography. The maximum fine is £18 million – but a company can be charged an even higher sum of 10% of global revenue. This is aimed at targeting giant web companies who may be in breach of the rules. DODGY DEALINGS Of course, some youngsters will go out of their way to dodge the checks. It's possible to skirt the ban using a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. These easily-downloaded apps scramble your internet data to boost your privacy from online spies. But they also let you trick websites and apps into thinking you're logging on from another country. Ofcom insiders admit there's no way to stop this – but that doesn't make the new rules redundant. 'Our research shows that these are not people that are out to find porn – it's being served up to them in their feeds,' Griffiths explained. 'And we think that these measures are going to have a really big impact in terms of dealing with that particular problem. Using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution. Oliver GriffithsOfcom 'There will be teenagers – dedicated teenagers – who want to find their way to porn, in the same way as people find ways to buy alcohol under 18. They will use VPNs. 'And actually, I think there's a really important reflection here. It's not just us, in terms of making life safer online. 'Parents having a view in terms of whether their kids have got a VPN, and using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution.' Another fear around the new rules is that by blocking unverified Brits from mainstream sites, they'll seek out adult content in more extreme corners of the web. But Ofcom says the porn industry is aware of this, and is working to get everyone on board. 'This was certainly a concern that when we were working with the adult sector,' Griffiths told us. 'The big sites were saying, well if we age-assure here, then won't that just divert traffic to darker corners. 'And I think it was that sort of sense that everybody needed to move together. 'That's allowed us to get to the position where we've got 6,000 websites hosting porn that are going to have age-assurance in place as of midnight.' CYBER EXPERT'S VIEW Here's what Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, said… 'Like many new regulations, the Online Safety Act's approach to age verification sounds ideal to stamp out content that isn't intended for younger people. However, there are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information. 'Whilst this particular thorn in the act's side has taken longer than expected, it has come across technological barriers and not without good reason. While intended to protect children, these measures could potentially collect large amounts of sensitive personal data vulnerable to breaches or surveillance. 'The real push to govern social media platforms will be in the assigned punishment that enforces it but these platforms are often financially incentivised to push harmful content and then ask for forgiveness rather than permission 'The Online Safety Act's approach to age verification is likely to have a few teething problems but the initial step into online age verification will be a huge step towards online safety for children. 'Although some of the ways to verify ages may sound like they pose potential privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads or financial information, there are methods in place to reduce further harm. Online privacy has been completely avoided since the birth of social media and other sites with harmful content but this is a move towards the classic adage of better late than never.' Picture Credit: Jake Moore / ESET
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Astronomer CEO 'Kiss Cam' scandal: PornHub reveals searches topping on its website after the scandal
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot seen at a Coldplay concert before being placed on leave. (Pic Courtesy: X) The viral 'kiss cam' scandal involving Astronomer CEO Any Byron and company's HR head — Kristin Cabot has now resulted in an unexpected and unusual turn. After the viral scandal the searches on adult entertainment website PornHub witnessed a significant spike. According to an online report, PornHub has confirmed that the searches for 'cheating' and 'affair' spiked by 19% after the incident. Astronomer CEO and company's HR head were caught in a 'kiss cam' moment at a Coldplay concert. The moment captured showed Byron in an intimate embrace with Cabot. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin also quipped, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' Searches on Pornhub increase after the Astronomer CEO 'Kiss Cam' scandal As reported by TMZ, Pronhub confirmed that after the viral 'Kiss Cam' scandal, people started searching for content on 'cheating' and 'affair'. The adult entertainment website revealed that the searches spiked by 19% after the incident. Apart from this, people were also searching keywords like 'cheating husband', 'cheating couple', 'caught cheating' and 'office sex'. The searches by with these keywords witnessed a rise of 20%. 'We've also learned three titles people are especially interested in ... "Dirty Office Threesome," "Office Babe HOTEL HOOKUP during professional BUSINESS TRIP" and -- the very descriptively titled -- "I f**k my boss in the office and record him so he will raise my salary or his wife will find out!', reported TMZ. Astronomer board starts investigation after Coldplay 'Kiss Cam' moment Astronomer has announced that the company is not starting an investigation after the viral 'Kiss Cam' moment captured during the ColdPlay concert. The company has also issued a statement on X which mentions that the board of directors have started a formal investigation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo 'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly. Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect,' the company said in a statement shared on X. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Huge app loved by 23 million Brits forces users to prove their age by showing ID or face BLOCK
A MAJOR social media app used by millions of Brits daily is introducing new age verification checks due to a new UK law. The Online Safety Act forces social media sites with access to adult content to verify the age of users from July 24. Advertisement 1 Reddit's new checks come into effect today Credit: Getty Platforms that fall foul of the new law risk being slapped with hefty fines and could even be banned from the UK. A number of popular porn sites including PornHub have already confirmed they And now Reddit has revealed it too is making changes, coming into effect immediately. "We have tried to do this in a way that protects the privacy of UK redditors," the tech firm said. Advertisement Read more about social media Going forward, users will need to submit a selfie or a photo of your government ID to gain access to adult subreddit pages. Reddit is using a third-party provider called Persona to do the checks and says the company "promises not to retain the photo for longer than 7 days and will not have access to your Reddit data such as the subreddits you visit ". Regulator Ofcom will be responsible for checking websites comply with the new rules. "Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren't suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling," said Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom Group Director of Online Safety. Advertisement Most read in Tech "But for too long children have been only a click away from harmful pornography online. 'Now, change is happening. These age checks will bring pornography into line with how we treat adult services in the real world, without compromising access and privacy for over-18s." Big changes coming to PornHub and a dozen other XXX sites soon
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
The Internet Needs Sex
Texas' H.B. 1181, an online-age-verification law, might not sound like such a terrible idea. According to its proponents, it's designed to keep those who are underage from looking at pornography. On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law, arguing that using age verification 'to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content' is within a state's authority. Yet as reasonable as that statement might sound, I worry that these laws could mean the beginning of the end of something truly precious: the internet as an uncensored place to explore human desire in a way that's allowed for safe and private information, titillation and education. Texas is not unique in mandating that porn sites employ online age verification. In early 2023, Louisiana was the first state to pass such a law, requiring consumers to upload a government ID before getting access to adult content. Now a third of the states have passed laws so onerous that PornHub opted to block incoming traffic from said states, rather than collect identification. Most of the time, these bills have passed easily, drawing broad bipartisan consensus. And why wouldn't they? There's a dark side to the internet, and children, in particular, are especially vulnerable to the worst of it. With troves of deepfakes and revenge porn and child sex abuse material just a click away, we all want to do something. But the world of online sex is far more than just a depraved cesspool of the most abusive content. Vague, sweeping laws to rein in online sexual content could end up censoring those who want to share information about sexual pleasure and health, talk about L.G.B.T.Q. issues, celebrate kink or even distribute woman-friendly, consent-focused erotica. Overzealous application of these bans, enforced by people with sexual mores and tastes that might be more censorious, uptight or even bigoted than your own, will almost certainly curtail opportunities to explore sex online that should be preserved. Easy access to information about contraception, sex toys and safer sex are an essential component of safe, pleasurable intimacy. Online spaces can provide L.G.B.T.Q. people with queer and trans peers they might never encounter in real life, and information on queer sex — something that's rarely taught outside L.G.B.T.Q. spaces. Even explicit sexual media — sometimes, yes, hardcore pornographic photos and videos, but also written stories and audio content — can give many people a way to safely explore and learn about their turn-ons and desires. Despite the general belief that terms like 'pornography' and 'obscenity' have fixed meanings, history has demonstrated time and again that it's far from true. There have been several attempts to draw hard lines between what is 'acceptable' and what is 'obscene,' few of which have withstood the test of time. The Victorian Era's Comstock Act was used to bring charges against Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger, for using the postal service to distribute her feminist magazine, 'The Woman Rebel.' Hollywood's Hays Code barred filmmakers from depicting queer and interracial relationships. America's current gold standard, the Miller Test, relies on 'community standards' to define what is obscene — but in the fractal age of the internet, it's often difficult to say which 'community' it is whose standards should be given priority. So who gets to decide what is obscene, anyway? While it may be tempting to assume that age-verification laws will remain limited to PornHub and the like, there's ample evidence to suggest that may not be the case. In recent years, the stated goal of protecting young people from potentially harmful material has often become a pretext for conservative attempts at censorship. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
