UK takes a step forward to protect children from online porn! Have you?
Online pornography has affected the lives of numerous children all over the world including the UK. Keeping this in view, lawmakers in the United Kingdom have put an age restriction to internet porn usage to create a barrier between the hazards of the internet and the innocent children getting affected by them.
Are you 18?
The rule will be applicable from 1st April 2019 and the lawmakers of the UK will require the websites that offer online pornography to ask for identification from their users proving that they are at least 18 or over the age of 18. The users can provide their age proof through credit card, passport, driver’s license, or other means of identification. They can also use an online verification system known as AgeID for this purpose.
When a user will visit such a site, a landing page will appear that will be protected by AgeID. The user needs to verify their age before they can access the website’s content. Every website is bound to create its own non-pornographic landing page for this purpose. As it is a one-time verification, it won’t be a hassle for users who are over 18 years. Once the user verifies themselves on any one of the AgeID protected sites, they do not have to prove their age on any other site which is protected by AgeID time and again.
What would be the complications?
If online porn websites do not comply with the new law, then these websites can face a fine of up to $3,30,000 and they will be blocked by all the UK internet service providers for violating the law. Though it took quite a few months to get the new rule approved, they are finally being implemented this year and it would shield the children from online pornography, especially those who come across such age-inappropriate content accidentally.
Is the idea good?
Many people are arguing that this idea is one of the worst ones as it will encourage the children for illegal behaviour. This rule won’t stop the kids from watching online porns, but it will push the children towards streaming sites that are full of malware or some may even create fake identification proof. Moreover, kids are not protected from pornography on social media. The ban has not been applied to any social media sites and hence, children can still come across such stuff. As social media sites are totally different from websites that offer only pornography, the rule is not applicable for social media sites.
What are you doing to keep your kids safe?
Though UK lawmakers have taken the initial step to protecting children from the harsh reality, parents are still worried about how to protect their children from accessing harmful content on the internet. The parental control on the gadgets can be the biggest step that can help you stream what your kids are watching and what they shouldn’t. Kids Place is one of the best apps from Kiddoware which can help the parents in monitoring what the children are exposed to. They can keep an eye on what the children are watching and make things better for them. The amazing features of this app, help you stay in peace of mind even when you are away from your kids. Download Kids Place from the App Store or Google Play, install it in your kids’ phone and be assured that your child won’t be accessing porn content in your absence.