Almost half of pornography users have accessed adult sites without government-mandated age checks since the measure came into force, new research shows.
Since the law changed in July, 45% of 1,469 adults who use porn have gone on websites without age checks to avoid submitting their personal information, a poll by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation found.
The research also showed that 29% of pornography users had used a VPN to avoid age checks on websites that do require them.
A VPN – or virtual private network – can be used to mask a users’ location, allowing them to connect to the internet as though they were in a different country.
Now the charity is sounding the alarm, warning that adults who don’t want to share their identity are turning to riskier sites where they are more likely to see child abuse images.
Alexandra Bailey, the foundation’s head of psychology and an associate professor at the University of Roehampton, said: “These sites can expose people to harmful material, including illegal content depicting child sexual abuse.
“Even if you’re not looking for it, you could encounter it – and that can have serious, life-changing consequences.”
The age verification notice on an adult website. Pic: PA
The foundation, which aims to stop people viewing child abuse images, commissioned a survey of 3,724 adults in November.
The survey showed 39% of the people that had visited unregulated porn sites had reported seeing content that made them uncomfortable, and 40% had been put off visiting the same site again.
Rules changes introduced under the Online Safety Act (OSA) last year stipulate that porn websites should have strong age checks in place to stop children accessing harmful material.
In December, Ofcom fined AVS group – which runs 18 adult websites – £1m for not having strong enough age checks, plus £50,000 for failing to respond to information requests.
Ofcom headquarters. Pic: PA
‘Even more robust’ laws needed
Now the Internet Watch Foundation is calling for even tougher rules to restrict access to adult material.
Its chief executive, Kerry Smith, said it’s “highly concerning that age verification measures are not being implemented on certain platforms”.
“Safeguards on pornography sites are essential to protect children from accessing pornography, which we know, if viewed at a young age, can normalise harmful sexual behaviours and leave children more vulnerable to grooming from predators,” she added.
“There needs to be strong enforcement of the OSA to ensure robust and meaningful safety measures are put in place on pornography platforms, including the use of deterrence messaging and signposting for adults to appropriate support services.
“We would also encourage the government to bring in even more robust legislation, so online pornography is treated just as it is in the offline world.”
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An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Change is happening, and the tide on online safety is beginning to turn for the better.
“Last year saw important changes for people, with new measures across many sites and apps now better protecting UK users from harmful content, particularly children.
“But we need to see much more from tech companies this year, and we’ll use our full powers if they fall short.”
