Access to pornography is recurring subject of much debate and strong views, and it’s back in the news again. The Conservatives have vowed to take existing filtering one stage further if they win the 2015 general election – if the party wins they plan to force adult content sites to employ strict age verification or be blocked from the internet. But is it possible, should it be done and is such a strict practice really needed?
Where we are right now
Currently UK internet service providers are compelled to provide parental controls that can block access to adult content. On setting up a new home broadband connection in the UK, the bill payer is given a choice: to filter content under various headings, including pornography and piracy sites, or to deliver the internet without filters beyond illegal content.
The majority of UK ISPs provide granular controls for filtering various content and sites by type, but it is an active decision that must be taken before internet access is provided.
The tools are intended to help parents control access to content, but as with all internet filtering technology there are ways to route around the restrictions.
The Conservatives want to take filtering one stage further and force adult content sites to verify age beyond the simple “I am 18 or older” age gates that do not force users to prove that they are as old as they say they are.
Any site that does not comply with the age verification restrictions will be blocked from the internet by ISPs in the UK.
Isn’t age-restricting online porn a good idea?
On the face of it, verifying the age of viewers of hardcore pornography seems like a good idea – the content is designed and produced for adults and most parents would like to prevent their children from viewing it.
However, verifying age on the internet is a significant challenge. Most age verification relies on the possession of a credit card, which typically only those over the age of 18 can possess – but those as young as 13 can be issued with a pre-paid credit card, which behaves like a standard credit card but only uses funds preloaded into a virtual wallet.
Using a credit card to verify access to pornography also directly links an identifiable person with their viewing habits, while the process typically requires a charge on the credit card to verify possession and is therefore likely to damage adult content sites offering free access.
But perhaps the biggest challenge to the Conservatives’ plan is that circumventing age verification and blocking at the ISP level is relatively easy. A similar blockade of piracy sites, including the notorious Pirate Bay, has shown that users are willing to use virtual private networks, proxies and other technologies to easily route around the blockade.
Given that many sites are operated outside of the UK and the internet is a non-geographic entity, it is likely that those who cannot verify their age but want to view adult content will find a way of accessing it with little technical knowledge required.
Is it right that the government at least tries to implement an age verification system for adult content, and would legitimate viewers of hardcore pornography be comfortable with verifying their age and linking their viewing habits directly to themselves? Will it even perform the job it is supposed to do and prevent minors from accessing the content? And should the government really be doing this or should it be down to the parents to control their children’s access to the internet?
Tells us your views in the comments below.
