Porn Websites Will Have To Verify Users Are 18 or Older in UK

The United Kingdom will require pornography sites to verify that users are 18 or older by checking ID and credit cards, BBC News reported Tuesday.

The requirement is part of the Online Safety Bill aimed at protecting users from harmful content, according to BBC News. Websites that refuse to cooperate will reportedly be fined up to 10% of their global turnover, and the government can block access to offending websites in the U.K.

The U.K. implemented a similar rule in 2019, but quickly dropped it over regulatory challenges and privacy concerns, according to TechCrunch.

Most children access porn before they turn 13, and numerous studies have found that exposure to porn in childhood can normalize sexual violence, create unhealthy expectations about sex, and lead to addiction. Porn addiction can lead to decreased sex drive and unhealthy or abnormal sexual behaviors, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Efforts to block children from accessing graphic pornography made headlines in 2019, but have not resulted in federal legislation. Utah implemented a bill in 2021 requiring phones sold in the state to block access to porn, and 16 states declared porn a public health crisis, according to Fight The New Drug.

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