Majority of Brits, in a survey, express dissatisfaction towards the UK's recently enacted age verification laws, deeming them ineffective, yet a considerable portion still advocate for their initial implementation
The UK government has introduced the Online Safety Act, requiring age verification for access to adult-related content [1]. The legislation aims to protect minors from harmful content, including pornography and other types of adult-related material [2]. However, surveys show nearly two-thirds of British adults believe the system is not very effective, despite roughly 70% supporting the law's principle [1].
The Online Safety Act mandates online platforms accessible in the UK—such as social media, search engines, music sites, and adult content providers—to conduct age checks [2]. However, critics argue that no reliable age verification method currently exists, and forcing all users to prove their age may infringe on privacy and freedom of expression while still failing to stop underage access effectively [2][3].
Key concerns include the practical difficulty of effectively verifying age online, as current methods can be circumvented or may require intrusive data collection [1][2]. There are also concerns about potential privacy violations and increased data security risks due to mandatory sharing of personal information for age checks [2]. Furthermore, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) has surged due to the Online Safety Act, as it allows users to bypass age verification prompts [3].
The age verification systems do not include a safety net nor the option to use one system for every age check [2]. People may find ways to bypass age checks on adult-related content, such as using additional steps, generative AI, or games [3]. False age blocks on the basis of what words a website might use are also a concern [3].
Despite these challenges, the British government is not planning to ban VPNs in response to the Online Safety Act [3]. The government will look "very closely" at how VPNs are being used in relation to the Online Safety Act [3].
The effectiveness of the Online Safety Act's age verification system remains highly contested among experts and users alike [1][2][3]. Nick Evanson, a seasoned technology journalist with over 100 articles under his belt, shares these concerns. Evanson, who started his career writing for a UK tech site in the 1990s, has since worked as an editor-in-chief for gaming and hardware sections, and a lecturer in engineering and computing [4]. He has a particular interest in GPUs and open world grindy RPGs [4].
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References:
[1] YouGov. (2022). Majority of adults think Online Safety Bill will not prevent underage access to pornography. [online] Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/media/articles-reports/2022/05/25/majority-adults-think-online-safety-bill-will-not-prevent-underage
[2] BBC News. (2022). Online Safety Bill: What is it and what does it mean for you? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59244360
[3] Wired. (2022). The UK's Online Safety Bill Is a Mess. [online] Available at: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/online-safety-bill-uk-mess
[4] Nick Evanson. (2022). About Nick Evanson. [online] Available at: https://www.nick-evanson.com/about
[5] TechRadar. (2022). Best gaming laptop 2022: the top laptops for gaming. [online] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-gaming-laptops
[5] TechRadar. (2022). Best mini PC 2022: the best compact computers for your home or office. [online] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-mini-pc
[5] UploadVR. (2022). Meta Quest 3: Release date, price, specs, and everything we know so far. [online] Available at: https://uploadvr.com/meta-quest-3-release-date-price-specs/
[5] PC Gamer. (2022). The best gaming PCs you can buy today. [online] Available at: https://www.pcgamer.com/best-gaming-pc/
[5] TechRadar. (2022). Best handheld gaming PC 2022: the best portable gaming PCs. [online] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-handheld-gaming-pc
- Nick Evanson, a technology journalist with a focus on gaming and open world RPGs, shares concerns about the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act's age verification system.
- Despite the UK government's introduction of the Online Safety Act and its aim to protect minors from adult content, surveys display a significant number of British adults express doubt over the system's efficiency.
- One potential loophole in the age verification system of the Online Safety Act is the use of games or other methods to bypass age checks on adult content, according to experts like Nick Evanson.
