UK ISPs to Begin Blocking Porn Sites on July 15

In this modern era of internet and technology, a few interesting changes will be introduced in the years to come. The first major change will occur in the UK, albeit it is a very worrisome one. It seems virtually all porn websites will be blocked by domestic internet providers come July 15. It remains to be seen how long it takes until this restriction is circumvented.

UK Introduces a Genuine Porn Blockade

For a lot of people, the internet and porn are almost synonymous. While it is true that the adult entertainment industry has become a lot bigger since the Internet was introduced, it also creates a few ethical problems and discussions. One such discussion revolves around what should happen if children decide to access explicit content. According to UK lawmakers, the only course of action is restricting access to all porn websites.

This new restriction is part of the Digital Economy Act 2017. Two years after approving this bill, the ban on porn will go into effect in less than a month from today. All internet providers have to enforce this ban. Users from the UK will also need to verify their age before being granted access to the adult entertainment platform in question.

That age verification procedure is a lot more complex than one may assume. It is not just a matter of filling in a date or selecting it from drop-down boxes. Instead, a dedicated age verification system is introduced known as AgeID. It is a solution developed by Mindgeek, the parent company of – surprisingly – both YouPorn and Pornhub. It is good to see that the company is willing to effectively ensure the new restriction is put in place correctly.

To properly ensure users do not cheat, they will need to submit age verification proof. This can be done through a credit card, driver’s license, or passport, among others. It is a very robust system which should ensure that only those who are mature can access pornographic content moving forward. AgeID will never see or store the age verification data submitted by any of the adult entertainment providers.

Any pornographic service provider not playing by the rules will be fined for up to $350,000 or even receive a blanket block by domestic ISPs. Any site confirmed to have allowed underage users access their content will receive a similar treatment. While this new verification procedure is quite intriguing, it remains to be seen how well the new rules will be enforced. Systems like these are often exploited and abused sooner or later.

With the United Kingdom setting this precedent, one has to wonder if other countries in Europe will introduce similar measures. Privacy advocates are also concerned as to how the surfing behavior of AgeID users will come into play further down the line. For now, there are a lot of questions in that regard, yet very few useful answers. Additionally, one has to wonder if porn websites are genuinely the biggest online threat to minors in the United Kingdom.