Websites that publish pornography will be legally required to verify the age of their users under new online safety rules, the Government has announced. The change to the law will see the sharing of intimate images without consent upgraded to be made a priority offence under the new online safety rules, which are due to come into force from spring next year. We know that seeing images and videos of child sexual abuse online is upsetting. The new rules are looking to protect children from accessing harmful pornographic content online. And whilst industry may have heaved a sigh of relief on completing their first OSA risk assessments this year, Ofcom is not standing still. AI allows platforms to proactively moderate more content faster, to block harmful content before it appears online, and crucially to moderate without subjecting human moderators to reviewing high volumes of distressing material.
It suggests that a lack of age-verification on pornography websites has led to children as young as seven “stumbling across” pornography online. It’s also likened the online pornography age checks to those used in the offline world to buy age-restricted goods, like cigarettes and alcohol. As a charity, we rely on the kindness and generosity of people like you to support our vital work to prevent child sexual abuse. Pornography has become more graphic and violent over the years and this has fed into the addiction cycle for many people.
Shaping users’ sexual interests
With expert analysis and practical solutions across consumer electronics, software, security, and more, PCMag helps consumers make informed buying decisions and get the most from their tech. From in-depth reviews to the latest news and how-to guides, PCMag is the go-to source for staying ahead in the digital world. Sex work is the oldest profession, and that is certainly the case with the internet where online pornography has been equal parts innovation driver and bogeyman. The importance of online erotic content was perhaps never more evident than at the height of the pandemic, when many of us were stuck working and playing from home and staying at least six feet away from, well, everyone. While porn can still be a welcome relief even as the pandemic is waning, consuming it can also put your privacy (or at least your dignity) at risk.
Hours after the law came into effect, users were reporting they were able to bypass certain software using gaming avatars which can be manipulated to perform actions requested by the app. The most visited pornographic service in the UK, PornHub, confirmed to Ofcom that it’ll be complying with the checks, as have BoyfriendTV, Cam4, FrolicMe, inxxx, Jerkmate, LiveHDCams, MyDirtyHobby, RedTube, Streamate, Stripchat, Tube8, and YouPorn. “This same pattern is in other behaviours, including those where it feels easier to label the behaviour as an addiction, for example alcohol or gambling.
What techniques are being used? And how accurate are they?
- Deepfakes are also making it increasingly easy for illegitimate users to access content, and layering AI facial recognition technology with extra measures like photo ID analysis is improving accuracy.
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- My porn consumption has increased over time, requiring more extreme or frequent content to feel satisfied.
- There is no understanding that these are choreographed events, and there is also no understanding that many are coerced into looking ‘happy’.
I am sure it feels like fun as you are an adolescent and exploring your sexuality. The new Online Safety Bill now has a Cyberflashing offence, and sending Dick-pics or intimate imagery falls into this category. At 17 you are still considered a child, but when you turn 18, and if you are still sending pictures porno to those who are not yet 18, then you are an adult offending against a child. You also need to check the ages of your friendship group, to make sure they are a similar age to yourself.
When you talk about getting the ‘bad’ images out of your head, what you are actually describing is flashbacks from the shock of what you have seen. Online fast-streaming visual imagery, and the imbedded computer algorithms, effect the brain so drastically that it draws you down pathways you would never have gone to if you had been viewing old-fashioned erotica off the top shelf of the stationers. Having said that, there are many porn stars who do enjoy their craft, but it is still not a good way for teenagers to learn about sex.
I also wrote the occasional security columns, focused on making information security practical for normal people. I helped organize the Ziff Davis Creators Guild union and served as its Unit Chair. Many of the experts we spoke with warned against small, “fringe” sites peddling pornographic material.
Denmark bans social media for under-15s: Could it happen here?
- “Then of course, for those people who do create this content, we will have more powers to act against them as well, because that will be a criminal offence.
- The good news is that, despite the worrying picture, there are things that parents can do that make all the difference.
- With your contribution, you can support the work of the Revenge Porn Helpline and the wider work of SWGfL to help protect against intimate image abuse.
- If you’re worried about your child and think something is not quite right, it’s best to be on the safe side and find out more.
- ‘Age checks to access online pornography are just the same,’ the guidance argues, adding that the measures will ‘help stop children from encountering pornography online, in the same way that a child should not be able to simply walk into a shop and buy a pornographic DVD or magazine’.
‘We laugh in the face of that sort of thing mum’ said my son, and the conversation continued into areas of media representation of men and women and sex generally. The father said the situation has parents doubting the council’s ability to keep pupils safe. Now, pupil laptops remain offline while council tech teams scramble to clean up the mess — leaving lessons disrupted and parents furious. Despite IT staff moving fast to shut down the system just 16 minutes after the first email was sent, the situation had already become what officials called “large scale”. Beautycon is a global platform that brings together beauty enthusiasts, brands, and industry leaders to explore the latest trends, innovations, and conversations shaping the future of beauty. Well, no – you see although I didn’t hack my way through every one of the remaining 400 sites in Alexa’s top 500, I did take a 10% sample and use it to estimate how much traffic overall those sites add to the overall picture and it works out to be around another 6%.
