A new UK law dubbed the ‘porn block’ is to be delayed for a third time by around six months, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has revealed, after his department failed to notify the European Commission of key details.
Despite a start date of 15 July, Wright told the Commons on Thursday the delay was a result of a “important notification process” not having been undertaken.
He apologised to the House and said he had only learned of this oversight on Friday last week.
Wright was insistent this latest delay did not mean the policy would be scrapped altogether. He said: “Age verification for online pornography needs to happen.”
He also took the opportunity to encourage porn providers to voluntarily engage with the scheme sooner than the legal start date.
Shadow Voter Engagement Minister Cat Smith called the process a “shambles”.
The government has been trying to introduce an age verification scheme that would prevent under 18s from viewing X-rated material online by requiring a proof of age such as passport or driving licence.
Initial plans to roll out in April 2018 were pushed back to 1 April 2019, but that start date was also dropped in March this year.
As stipulated in the 2017 Digital Economy Act, the ‘porn block’ will mean websites such as PornHub and RedTube will only be unlocked after individual users have been through a process of verification to prove they are old enough.
The changes have been criticised by campaigners, with some arguing that these compulsory checks require adults to give up sensitive personal information in return for access to pornography.
The government has left it in the hands of the porn companies to ensure they comply with the compulsory checks, so the type of age-verification software will depend on which sites you visit.
One example of software being developed is by MindGeek – which also owns Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube and Brazzers – is called AgeID. This will work by redirecting you to a non-pornographic page to take your details.
On a separate page, users will have to input an official document, such as a passport or driving licence. MindGeek say this will be a one-time verification, and they expect 20 to 25 million UK users will sign up to AgeID.
Users will also be able to verify their age through AgeID using a physical ID card, known as a Portes card. The ‘Portes’ ID cards will reportedly give a 16-digit verification code that lasts for 24 hours to prove your age.
The cards will reportedly cost £4.99 for use on a single device, or £8.99 for use across multiple devices. Using this method, a customer does not need to register an email address, and can simply access the site using the Portes app.
Enforcement will be the responsibility of the British Board of Film Classification – the body responsible for setting age restrictions on films. It will ask internet service providers (ISPs) or mobile network operators to block sites that don’t comply.