According to a statement released by the British Government on Monday, July 24, the United Kingdom could soon require pornography websites to establish that all of its users are of an adult age. The government plan on implementing the new law by April 2018, in an effort to ensure that anybody looking at porn in the U.K. will first have to prove they are an adult.
CNBC’s David Reid reports that porn websites will need to install and use the same type of age-verification software used by gambling websites. Failure to adhere to the new law will result in a large fine according to the new Digital Economy Act.
The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children performed a study in 2016 that showed that almost have of all children between the ages of 11 and 16 has watched pornography online.
“Protecting children from exposure, including accidental exposure, to adult content is incredibly important, given the effect it can have on young people,” said Will Gardner, chief executive of Childnet – an internet safety charity.
Gardner claims that the new laws will stop children from gaining access to content online that could be disturbing and upsetting.
The Digital Economy Act will also be used to crack down on ticket scalpers as well.
