The new age verification process being introduced this year has brought about much discussion. The UK government originally passed the Digital Economy Act in 2017 which states anyone who “makes pornographic material available on the internet to persons in the United Kingdom on a commercial basis other than in a way that secures that, at any given time, the material is not normally accessible by persons under the age of 18”. This means that all websites with pornographic material, available to users in the UK, must have their age verified as being over eighteen before entering the site – Or that website owner will face the consequences of breaking the law.
What is AGE ID?
AGE ID was developed by Mindgeek who run some of the top porn sites in the world. While developed for their own sites initially the software is available to website owners on subscription (no cost for the user). When someone in the UK tries to access a pornographic website they will be redirected to a verification page. Here they must register with an email address, password and provide an official document proving their age. Once verified they are able to login and so access pornographic material on any of the sites using the AGE ID software.
Why is it being implemented?
This has become quite a controversial law and the UK is the first to implement anything like it in the world. Unfortunately the internet has become somewhat of a hunting ground for sexual deviants and there has been enormous concern with regards to how easy it is for children to access these websites and see pornographic material online. Margot James of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and minister for digital and creative industries stated, “Adult content is currently far too easy for children to access online. The introduction of mandatory age-verification is a world-first, and we’ve taken the time to balance privacy concerns with the need to protect children from inappropriate content”.
How can we help you comply?
Smoking Chili Media have experienced developers to install this software on your website and which is fully customised to your own requirements
The UK government has gone to a great deal of trouble to ensure all porn is blocked until the user is registered and verified. Porn websites that do not adopt the verification process are literally locking themselves out of the UK market. The AGE ID software complies exactly with the new rules and provides a comprehensive, secure and easy solution for website owners.
People can be nervous about handing over their official documents. However, when you present them with a secure, credible and trustworthy option such as AGE ID they can feel a lot more comfortable about it! We can help you set up this first-class age verification process ensuring you stay within the UK laws and do not lose out on a significant market base.
There is no doubt that the UK porn block is here to stay. The AGE ID software is a solid and inexpensive solution that has already been tried and tested – We can provide a top solution – Just contact us for more details.
