UK gov to ban porn sites that don't verify users' age

[classicdish]

Details here:

The government wants to ban porn in the UK unless web sites verify users' ages

Bunch of questions:

Is the British Board of Film Classification going to go after other "adult content" (eg drugs info sites) as well?

Apparently PornHub have said they will comply but how is the age verification going to work? Who is going to want to give out eg credit card details or any other type of identification for that matter to porn websites? Isn't this just going to lead to hacking, fraud, blackmail etc.

How easy is it to use VPNs or other techniques to get around UK ISP blocking? There is already a kind of 'blocking' on PirateBay but also very easy ways around it.

How is the government going to deal with Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, even Google Image Search all of which contain plenty of porn? What about urban's very own 'naked' thread?

Is this going to lead to a wider ranging 'UK firewall' potentially impacting on more and more topics and information, or is the UK government hopelessly out of touch with what is actually possible, both technologically and in terms of what the people will put up with?

edit: another good article on it by ISPReview

 

[keybored]

It's another "Govt. doesn't understand how Internet works" story.

 

[Spymaster]

I dunno, surely it's not beyond the wit of man to develop some sort of age verification device for the internet? Maybe something like those cards that youngsters need to get served in pubs. Users have to enter their details and a code to access certain content.

I genuinely don't think that it should be as easy as it is for kids to access violent porn, animal fucking, snuff shit, and all the other fucked-up crap that exists on the net. If we can't lock up the cunts that make it, I'm all for making it as difficult as possible to access.

 

[joustmaster]

It's another "Govt. doesn't understand how Internet works" story.

This.

These guys have no idea.

 

[Wolveryeti]

One way could be to submit a passport number for verification via a govt authentication portal similar to how banks authenticate online purchases (i.e without the site getting the details) Maybe NI would work too.

 

[bi0boy]

Adult Verification System - Wikipedia - used to be big business when the internet was full of noobs who didn't know how to find free porn - "give us your credit card details to prove your age ".

 

[ElizabethofYork]

The stupidity of the government never fails to amaze.

 

[classicdish]

I dunno, surely it's not beyond the wit of man to develop some sort of age verification device for the internet? Maybe something like those cards that youngsters need to get served in pubs. Users have to enter their details and a code to access certain content.

The most obvious thing is a credit card as you have to be 18 to get one. However would it be sensible to trust websites with peoples' info? Another option would be a 'trusted' and 'secure' third party site that could handle the age verification but that was safer from the point of view of protecting peoples' data, identities and browsing histories etc.

I genuinely don't think that it should be as easy as it is for kids to access violent porn, animal fucking, snuff shit, and all the other fucked-up crap that exists on the net. If we can't lock up the cunts that make it, I'm all for making it as difficult as possible to access.

The biggest free porn sites (eg PornHub, YouPorn etc) and the vast majority of porn sites that are easy to find don't have the extreme stuff on them ime. There is already The Internet Watch Foundation Report child sexual abuse content to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) that helps remove child porn (globally) and other illegal content (if UK hosted).

You say "As difficult as possible" - how much of the internet do you want to put behind a firewall to achieve this?

 

[mauvais]

Age restriction works reasonably well (pain in the arse aside) in terms of mobile data, so I suppose they just need to get fixed line ISPs to do the same.

VPNs and so on is missing the point by some margin.

 

[classicdish]

One way could be to submit a passport number for verification via a govt authentication portal similar to how banks authenticate online purchases (i.e without the site getting the details) Maybe NI would work too.

Next step - the BFCC decides u75 contains 'adult content' (eg drugs forum, naked thread) and demands we all have to sign in with out passport numbers to post here.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I dunno, surely it's not beyond the wit of man to develop some sort of age verification device for the internet? Maybe something like those cards that youngsters need to get served in pubs. Users have to enter their details and a code to access certain content.

Porn Access Card

Apart from you, I can't think of anyone who'd be that happy to have one nestled next to the Visa card in their wallet...

 

[classicdish]

VPNs and so on is missing the point by some margin.

I am not really technically savvy ... don't people use VPNs to access websites that are being blocked in their country?

 

[mauvais]

I am not really technically savvy ... don't people use VPNs to access websites that are being blocked in their country?

Yes. But you should consider how widespread and practical this is, and how accessible it is to under-18s. There's no absolutes here - lots of people, possibly a significant percentage, will be able to bypass it. But lots can't or won't.

I make no comment on whether the overall aims have any merit or not.

 

[5t3IIa]

That Iplayer/tv license thing isn't very frightening. Literally "have you got a TV license?" so I clicked 'yes'

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Comment on the radio the other day that Porn hub and the like will welcome this. It's smaller sites that will get hit as they can't afford the age verification and the government's definition can be very broad.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Ban Porn Restaurant Loei Thailand - Ban Porn, Loei Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

ban porn is a reality

 

[classicdish]

Are we going to have to enter age verification every time we use Google Image Search, Twitter or Reddit?

 

[Spymaster]

Porn Access Card

Apart from you, I can't think of anyone who'd be that happy to have one nestled next to the Visa card in their wallet...

Well you're probably the only person that would need to carry it with him at all times in case the urge for an al fresco wank-to-porn took hold.

Most of us would probably leave it at home.

 

[likesfish]

uk gov can't into the internetz.

the extreme stuff isn't on mainstream sites anyways.
While free porn is hardly a hill anyone is prepared to die on.
This is possibly a waste of time and money getting family's to put effective filters on at home is probably a better move and getting isps to encourage people with kids to use them.

 

[Obediah Marsh]

As others have noted these restrictions will be trivial to bypass. Like the pirate movie/software scene, which is still going strong in spite of the colossal $$$ spent trying to shut it down. I agree this is a serious problem but it's something society is just going to have to get used to.

 

[skyscraper101]

Won't it be more like...

"are you over 18?"
"yes"

Job done?

 

[Raheem]

As others have noted these restrictions will be trivial to bypass. Like the pirate movie/software scene, which is still going strong in spite of the colossal $$$ spent trying to shut it down. I agree this is a serious problem but it's something society is just going to have to get used to.

I don't think so. We just need to get over the idea that any attempt to control the internet is evil. At one point, virtually noone in authority (in the West at least) dared say any differently, which is how we got to where we are.

Depending on how serious they were about it, it could be made sufficiently difficult to get around. Or, at least as difficult as taking money from Tesco bank accounts. There are always ways around any rule, of course. But, pre-internet, no-one ever suggested that, since there were unscrupulous newsagents around, porn should just be printed on cereal packets and to hell with it.

 

[likesfish]

The problem is goverments have a long inglorious history of "trying to protect people"

Given an inch they will take a mile the uk gov still hates freedom of information and defualt setting is to deny information at every turn giving them the ability to regulate the internet for are protection would be a bad thing

These are the people who made the countryside code a restricted document ( its printed in a cadet training manual which is restricted) so technically you could claim anyone reading the countryside code is in breach of the offical secrets act.

The problem is the uk goverment is niether reasonable or intelligent give them power they abuse it.

See survellience orders meant for serious crime used against people gaming school catchment areas or dog fouling.
Indertimate sentances meant to keep dangerous crims locked up used to keep some poor sod in jail for over ten year when his orginal tariff was 10 months

 

[billy_bob]

I don't think so. We just need to get over the idea that any attempt to control the internet is evil. At one point, virtually noone in authority (in the West at least) dared say any differently, which is how we got to where we are.

Depending on how serious they were about it, it could be made sufficiently difficult to get around. Or, at least as difficult as taking money from Tesco bank accounts. There are always ways around any rule, of course. But, pre-internet, no-one ever suggested that, since there were unscrupulous newsagents around, porn should just be printed on cereal packets and to hell with it.

*scrumples up Porn Flakes blueprints and goes back to drawing board*

 

[pengaleng]

lol good luck with that


they had zero luck with this before.

that advod shit did fuck all - all things like this do is hinder the people making legit porn and the people making all the shit porn or free porn just carry the fuck on because guess what, they are criminals and criminals do not give a fuck.

people here have had their ppv consensual feminist bondage porn (i know that dont make sense) sites cease and desisted while america is still running the big main free sites full of stolen content

 

[Artaxerxes]

As others have noted these restrictions will be trivial to bypass. Like the pirate movie/software scene, which is still going strong in spite of the colossal $$$ spent trying to shut it down. I agree this is a serious problem but it's something society is just going to have to get used to.

The only solution to "my kids are looking at dodgy shit" is frankly, educating your bloody kids. Warn them of whats out there, warn them of the dangers of social media, warn them of sharing pictures they'll regret with boyfriends and girlfriends. Warn them that the vast bulk of porn isn't what actual sex is like.

And of course always be there for your kids to talk to.

 

[pengaleng]

and if they want kids to stop seeing random porn then they need to go after tumblr and other blog sites where it's full of porn - sometimes well dark shit - but not search referenced as porn

 

[pengaleng]

Porn Access Card

Apart from you, I can't think of anyone who'd be that happy to have one nestled next to the Visa card in their wallet...

what porn would you be accessing while outside? why the need for carrying it around in a wallet? surely you'd leave it with yer spunk covered laptop

 

[Raheem]

The only solution to "my kids are looking at dodgy shit" is frankly, educating your bloody kids. Warn them of whats out there, warn them of the dangers of social media, warn them of sharing pictures they'll regret with boyfriends and girlfriends. Warn them that the vast bulk of porn isn't what actual sex is like.

And of course always be there for your kids to talk to.

And, while you're at it, teach them to read and speak Spanish and there'll be no need for hard-working tax-payers to be responsible for their education.

 

[Artaxerxes]

And, while you're at it, teach them to read and speak Spanish and there'll be no need for hard-working tax-payers state to be responsible for their education.

I could read by the time I hit Reception, it made for some very dull lessons.

I'm still working on the Spanish.