What the government has said about ‘loophole’ people have discovered to get around new UK porn rules
Within hours of new legislation coming into force regarding how Brits access adult content, internet users had already come up with a loophole.
On 25 July, the likes of Pornhub, Stripchat and Jerkmate implemented new rules to verify the age of its users.
The move is part of the government's crackdown on X-rated content, in its aims to stop children from accessing harmful content.
While previously, visitors to X-rated sites would simply have to click a button to confirm they were over the age of 18, porn sites now require verification in the form of ID to make sure that those on the site are actually adults.
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Under the Online Safety Act, users now have to upload a document, which verifies their identity or share a snap of themselves to prove their age.
It's not just pornography sites, with the likes of Reddit also implementing changes.
What is the UK porn rule loophole?
Many people are unhappy with the new porn laws, while others have shared ways of getting around it, such as using VPNs.
Ofcom has said there is no way to stop Brits from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to dodge the age checks.
With a VPN, you can access parts of the internet which might be blocked in your region, as the service 'masks your IP address, and lets you sidestep website blocks and firewalls on the internet', according to Microsoft.
According to the BBC, Ofcom has said that platforms must not host, share or permit content encouraging the use of VPNs.
Speaking to the outlet, the government has also said that under the Online Safety Act, it will be illegal for sites to do this.
They also said that if parents are concerned, they can block the use of VPNs.
People are already very riled up about the new rules - so much so, that a petition to 'Repeal the Online Safety Act' has already racked up more than 270,000 signatures.
What has Ofcom said about the new porn rules?
Ofcom's group director for online safety, Oliver Griffiths, explained why the age verification process is so important, despite the supposed loopholes.
"Our research shows that these are not people that are out to find porn - it’s being served up to them in their feeds," he told The Sun.
Griffiths continued: "And we think that these measures are going to have a really big impact in terms of dealing with that particular problem.
"There will be teenagers - dedicated teenagers - who want to find their way to porn, in the same way as people find ways to buy alcohol under 18. They will use VPNs. And actually, I think there’s a really important reflection here. It’s not just us, in terms of making life safer online.
"Parents having a view in terms of whether their kids have got a VPN, and using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution."
Topics: News, PornHub, Technology, UK News, Adult Industry, Politics
Lucy Devine