Live data from Hacker News

UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

bbc.co.uk

11–20 of 162 posts

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#11
This is, of course, completely barmy regulation. The most interesting thing will be the decision over what classifies as a porn website. Currently, as a teenager, you're probably most likely to 'stumble across' (i.e. view unintentionally) pornography on non-porn sites like Reddit or Tumblr. Will the regulations require age verification for these sites? If not it will not even begin to achieve its stated aims.

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#12
post #7
post #2

Which will definitely, once and for all, stop teenagers looking at porn. Definitely.

Well, that will depend on how exactly the way the customers "will have to prove they are 18", as an example we know how no teenager under 18 would ever tick a box near "Yes, I am 18 or older". On the other hand needing to provide a photo or scanned image of your driving license or passport AND give access to the web camera to the site to verify your identity, while reasonably effective might somehow produce as a side…

It's in the article - sites will be required to request credit card details.

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#13
post #7
post #2

Which will definitely, once and for all, stop teenagers looking at porn. Definitely.

Well, that will depend on how exactly the way the customers "will have to prove they are 18", as an example we know how no teenager under 18 would ever tick a box near "Yes, I am 18 or older". On the other hand needing to provide a photo or scanned image of your driving license or passport AND give access to the web camera to the site to verify your identity, while reasonably effective might somehow produce as a side…

Age/identity verification for UK gambling (online) industry is somewhat 'challenging'.

"Users may be asked to provide credit card details, as gambling websites do." this is not at all how verification works.

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#15
How will this work with image search in Google, Bing, Yandex, etc.? Last time I checked you only need to enter an explicit search term and uncheck the filter, and you're flooded in porn.

Will they be forced to make their filters mandatory if the IP number looks as if it comes from the UK?

How will this work with porn sites outside the UK (such as most of them)? Will they all be blocked by default on the basis of some UK government censorship list or authority?

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#16
They might as well call it Operation Could-Not-Possibly-Go-Wrong.

>Companies breaking the rules set out in the Digital Economy Act face being blocked by their internet provider.

Seems to imply it would be the burden of individual sites. I'm sure many of which already have low margins since advertising in this space is extremely hard. So I'm going to guess most of them would sooner IP block all of Europe before bothering with this.

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#17
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, that will depend on how exactly the way the customers "will have to prove they are 18", as an example we know how no teenager under 18 would ever tick a box near "Yes, I am 18 or older". On the other hand needing to provide a photo or scanned image of your driving license or passport AND give access to the web camera to the site to verify your identity, while reasonably effective might somehow produce as a side…

It's in the article - sites will be required to request credit card details.

Except they quote gambling and age verification there (UK) is not related to credit cards.

Re: UK plans age verification for porn websites from 2018

#20
post #7
post #2

Which will definitely, once and for all, stop teenagers looking at porn. Definitely.

Well, that will depend on how exactly the way the customers "will have to prove they are 18", as an example we know how no teenager under 18 would ever tick a box near "Yes, I am 18 or older". On the other hand needing to provide a photo or scanned image of your driving license or passport AND give access to the web camera to the site to verify your identity, while reasonably effective might somehow produce as a side…

It will be trivial for any horny teenager to circumvent it with a proxy.
Post reply on HN