Children watch porn in the UK simply by ticking a box to indicate they’re over 18, the report warns – as experts urge adult sites to do more to protect young people
- According to the Online Safety Act, users must prove that they are over 18 years of age
- However, a report revealed that OnlyFans was the only one to implement such checks
- Many of its smaller competitors still allow users to access adult material simply by self-declaring that they are over 18 years of age
Children watch porn in the UK simply by ticking a box to indicate they are over 18, Ofcom has revealed.
An adult site told the watchdog that it had considered using age verification tools – but decided against it as it would affect their bottom line too much.
Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes accused platforms of “putting profits before child safety” ahead of new internet laws to tackle the problem.
Children watch porn in the UK simply by ticking a box to indicate they are over 18, Ofcom has revealed (stock image)
Under the Online Safety Act, users must prove they are over the age of 18 to access porn – although it’s up to the companies to decide how to screen customers.
However, a report published today has revealed that the UK’s largest video-sharing adult content site, OnlyFans, was the only one to put in place such controls.
Many of its smaller competitors still allow users to access adult material simply by self-declaring that they are over 18 — often by simply ticking a pop-up box or entering a date of birth.
Ofcom said it did not consider such measures to be adequate age verifications, adding it was clear the platforms were not “adequately equipped, prepared and resourced for regulation”.
While some asked for a payment card to access the content, Ofcom said that was not enough to ensure the customer was old enough, as some could be held by under-18s.
Over the next year Ofcom said adult sites “need to have a clear roadmap to implementing robust age verification measures” before the Online Safety Act is passed.
The legislation will give Ofcom the power to impose hefty fines of up to 10% of annual sales – or even ban websites from being used in the UK.
However, only adult websites with user-generated content will be included in the law, with critics warning that companies could circumvent the rules by removing user-uploaded material.
Ofcom’s latest report focused on OnlyFans and five other adult video platforms (VSPs) – AdmireMe, Fanzworld, PocketStars, Xpanded and RevealMe.
OnlyFans has introduced age verification for all new UK subscribers using Yoti, a third-party software that estimates people’s ages based on a selfie they upload.
Pictured: The six largest reported video sharing platforms established in the UK: TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Vimeo, OnlyFans and BitChute
The company claims that the technology can guess with over 99 percent accuracy whether users between the ages of 13 and 19 are under the age of 23.
If a user fails this test, they must verify their age with an ID such as a passport. Anyone who refuses cannot open an account.
Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes said: “Today’s report is a world first. We’ve used our might to uncover what UK video sites are doing to take care of the people who use them.
“It shows that regulation can make a difference, as some companies have responded by introducing new security measures, including age verification and parental controls.
“But we have also identified the gaps in the industry and now we know how much they need to do.
“It is deeply worrying to see more examples of platforms that prioritize profit over child safety. We have alerted UK adult websites to what they will do to prevent children from accessing them.’
Activists have warned for years that the massive amounts of porn available online is having a worrying impact on children’s attitudes towards relationships.
Half of parents worry that web porn gives teens an unrealistic view of sex, and more than half of mothers believe it paints women in a bad light, a study finds.
