How UK Porn Block Could Give A Business An Unfair Advantage

How UK Porn Block Could Give A Business An Unfair Advantage

Porn Block UK comes into effect on July 15, when users will be required to verify their age when watching adult content online. Users will have several ways to verify their age online, for example, by presenting their official credentials, credit card information, or even by visiting a physical store and presenting their ID and fees. in exchange for a pass. Rather than create a new regulatory body within the government, the Ministry for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport entrusted this task to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). However, the BBFC does not create or recommend a single age verification system because the organization instead sets guidelines for company-run external audit services. private. As part of the Porn Block, adult sites would be required to install such a system under the threat of being banned by major Internet service providers. While this means less work for the BBFC, it also raises concerns about how the data needed to verify a user's identity will be protected by the GDPR.

Age verification services

According to the BBFC, the organization will soon publish a list of recommended age verification services and existing solutions, such as AgeChecked, that are used by gambling websites and e-cigarette retailers. and AgePass, which stores data on a private blockchain, will likely be included. A particular service will start with a huge advantage over its competitors. AgeID provides a single sign-on solution where users can verify once and then connect to one of the thousands of sites that will support the service when they launch Porn Block, in the UK, in July. The reason the service is already getting so much support is that its parent company, MindGeek, is a giant in the adult entertainment industry, whose holdings include Pornhub, Redtube, YouPorn, and dozens of other sites. . Early on, MindGeek took an interest in Porn Block in the UK and Open Rights Group has even received communications between the company and regulators before the law was passed. In addition to having the resources to develop and push its tool, the company has the advantage of being able to instantly deploy AgeID to the world's most popular adult sites. This could give users the impression of a single sign-on to British adult sites, similar to how they use their Google or Facebook accounts to connect to other services. Jim Killock, chief executive of the Open Rights Group, explained how the UK government inadvertently gave MindGeek a significant advantage over its competitors: "In the name of child protection, the government has given a huge pornography company a huge boost. to maintain the monopoly on age verification in the UK. Pretty amazing." Via the New York Times