Adult Content Access to Limit for Brits Starting Tonight, Implementing Booze-Style ID Verification or Facial Recognition Over the 'Ridiculous' Tickbox Method
Starting from July 25, 2025, the UK Online Safety Act will mandate all websites and apps that provide adult content, including social media platforms, to enforce robust age verification checks. This move aims to protect children from accessing pornography and other age-inappropriate content online.
According to the Children's Commissioner, young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography depicting coercive, degrading, or pain-inducing sex acts. The average age at which children first see online pornography is 13, and around 8% of children aged 8-14 have accessed online porn in a given month, according to Ofcom. Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age. Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography.
The new rules require platforms to implement reliable methods such as facial recognition and age-estimating face scans, credit or debit card checks, and official identity document verification. Companies can choose the method they want for age verification, but they can't opt out. The adult websites do not receive personal information about users, and the age-checking services do not learn what kind of content is being viewed.
Ofcom, the UK's broadcast and online regulator, will be responsible for enforcing these requirements. They have the authority to inspect and assess platforms’ compliance, impose heavy fines up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover for failure to comply, and require platforms to implement specified age verification tools. Major adult content websites like Pornhub and YouPorn, as well as social platforms such as Reddit and dating apps like Grindr, have already committed to enforcing these age checks to comply with the law.
While this system aims to create a safer internet environment for children, it has faced criticism concerning privacy and freedom of speech. The measures involve collecting sensitive information and may require scanning of content continuously. However, the legislation is aimed at better protecting under-18s from online adult content.
In summary, under the UK Online Safety Act from July 2025, adult content access requires strong age verification proofs (ID scans, biometric, financial checks), applies to all relevant websites, apps, and social media platforms, is enforced by Ofcom with significant fines for non-compliance, and is designed to better protect under-18s from online adult content.
- The new regulations in the UK, effective from July 25, 2025, will also impact platforms offering entertainment, as platforms like Reddit and dating apps such as Grindr have pledged to comply with the age verification rules to avoid potential hefty fines.
- The UK government's focus on education-and-self-development is evident in the UK Online Safety Act, which mandates age verification for online content, with the hope that this will contribute to fostering a healthier lifestyle for children by minimizing their access to explicit adult content.
- In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the UK Online Safety Act sets a significant precedent by introducing stringent age verification checks for all websites and apps, including those providing general news, potentially influencing future regulations worldwide.
