Prove it! British govt to enforce age checks for porn, weapons sites

All adult websites falling under UK jurisdiction, including those selling guns, will be expected to verify if visitors are over 18, under new plans being compiled by the government.

The owners of any websites with adult content will be forced to implement software to check people’s ages as is already the case with gambling sites, the Sunday Times reported.

The online gambling site Betfred already asks users to prove their age by providing passport details, driver’s license, a bank or eWallet statement.

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The payment system for such sites would make use of bank-approved software and credit cards and would use UK approved companies such as Paypal and Visa.

The draft legislation is being drawn up by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and would be overseen by Andrea Leadsom, the economic secretary to the treasury and MP for South Northamptonshire.

“All the mobile operators will ensure that adult content is filtered on internet-enabled phones automatically and you’ll have to prove you’re over 18 to turn them off,” a DCMS source told the newspaper.

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Although the restrictions would initially only be applied to UK-based companies, any other company wishing to make money in Britain would also be charged.

There is some concern that implementing the new laws could cost some firms money, which may mean they relocate outside of the UK and it is also still unclear how websites that do not charge will be able to check users’ ages.