The United Kingdom government has backed away from plans to introduce age verification to access adult consent that were first flagged in April.
The rules would have forced sites that monetise pornography to introduce proof of age checks -- such as the submission of credit card details, or scanned copies of ID cards and passports -- or risk having payment services withdrawn or blocked for UK users.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Nicky Morgan delivered the change in response to a written question.
"The government has concluded that this objective of coherence will be best achieved through our wider online harms proposals and, as a consequence, will not be commencing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 concerning age verification for online pornography," Morgan wrote.
"The Digital Economy Act objectives will therefore be delivered through our proposed online harms regulatory regime. This course of action will give the regulator discretion on the most effective means for companies to meet their duty of care. As currently drafted, the Digital Economy Act does not cover social media platforms."
Morgan added that adult content was "too easily accessed online" and further action would be needed to protect children online.
"We are committed to the UK becoming a world-leader in the development of online safety technology and to ensure companies of all sizes have access to, and adopt, innovative solutions to improve the safety of their users," she said.
"This includes age verification tools and we expect them to continue to play a key role in protecting children online."
Open Rights Group welcomed the change, but said it would "remain vigilant to ensure that new proposals are not just as bad, or worse".
"Age verification for porn as currently legislated would cause huge privacy problems if it went ahead," executive director of Open Rights Group Jim Killock said.
"We are glad the government has stepped back from creating a privacy disaster, that would lead to blackmail scams and individuals being outed for the sexual preferences."
In June, the laws were delayed and set to be shelved, after a failure to comply with EU standards -- an ironic outcome given the country has torn itself apart over how to leave Europe.
Last month, Australia decided it would, not for the first time, follow in the steps of the UK, and look into its own age verification regime for porn and gambling.
Australia's House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs is looking into "the potential benefits of further online age verification requirements, including to protect children from potential harm, and business and non-government organisations from reputation, operational and legal risks", according to the committee's terms of reference.
Australia's contentious encryption laws were based on the UK's snoopers' charter.
Related Coverage
Australian House Committee to look into age verification for porn
New inquiry becomes latest front in the culture war from the Australian government.
UK to withdraw from online porn block, censorship crusade
Opinion: The irony is strong in enforcing ID verification laws when the government fails to implement its own legal checks.
Why the UK's porn block will backfire spectacularly
Opinion: Censorship won't stop teens from bypassing age checks and will only show up the lawmakers behind the changes.
UK to introduce porn age-checks on July 15
Adult websites will have to implement age-checks for UK visitors by July 15 or risk getting banned by UK ISPs.
UK hacking powers can be challenged in court, judge rules
UK spies are no longer allowed to skip court if their choices are considered unlawful.
from Latest Topic for ZDNet in... https://ift.tt/2oQtreh
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.