I am delighted to hear today, that yet again there has been a halt to the implementation of Age Verification here in the UK. In an announcement made earlier today, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have delayed yet again the introduction of Age Verification, legislation which was passed in 2017 and due to be introduced at the beginning of April.
This delay has come on the back of a catalogue of delays since 2017 which the government have implemented, whilst facing a growing number of issues and major concerns raised regarding the rights of individuals to privacy and the protection of personal data over that of finding ways of protecting under 18s.
I previously wrote a more detailed article on this matter following an earlier delay covering my concerns as both a mother and producer of adult films and founder of one of the fastest growing erotic platforms today. It provides a fuller understanding of Age Verification as it stands and why this legislation is so concerning. How to protect adults right of privacy to view and enjoy perfectly legal sites offering any form of pornography here in the UK, to that of protecting minors. After all, we all like our sex to be private.
I have always held a very strong belief in the need to ensure young children are restricted from viewing adult content. The most harmful, I have to say, stems from the plethora of free, instantly accessible tube sites that litter our search online and offer more extreme imagery.
However, to tackle this issue, we have to understand how children can view so easily. We need as adults and parents to take responsibility for the devices and means we give them access to. We are providing very young children with an open world of the web in the palm of their hands with no age restriction. The devices today in the form of smartphones, harness incredible technology. Modern technology can provide enormous access to as well as open communication from a global world, which is full of intrigue. These devices hold the key to restricting content, access and unsolicited unwanted dialogue. I already have full control over my children’s viewing access online via my internet providers, and that is the cable operator or mobile provider which just via the tick of a box has the ability to restrict adult access which is controlled via the adult, a homeowner over the age of 18. All major phone providers are now also offering secondary parental controls and there are more filters to help restrict what also migrates into their phones too.
By removing the concept of Age Verification, adults will still be able to explore their sexual interests online without fear of releasing critical pieces of personal data. Several of the unregulated Age Verification companies are requesting information from highly sensitive documents such as passports and driving licenses above and beyond that of credit card data. Data which we all know to keep safe and should not need to be given just to be able to view perfectly legal sites that offer sexual adult content.