UK Considers Facial Scans, Photo IDs for Online Porn Access

In an attempt to enforce the recently passed Online Safety Act, Ofcom, UK's Office of Communications, has unveiled a preliminary version of age-restriction guidelines targeting online platforms featuring explicit sexual content.

The Online Safety Act mandates platforms showcasing pornography in the UK to implement measures preventing children from accessing adult content. The final guidance is expected to be published in early 2025, with subsequent enforcement.

This marks a renewed effort for age verification, previously abandoned in 2019. Despite these initiatives, concerns linger about the effectiveness of these measures in safeguarding user privacy. The Verge reported that Ofcom proposes various safeguards to confirm users' age for accessing adult content.

Photo ID matching is suggested, requiring users to upload legal identification and provide a live face capture for verification. Facial age estimation, relying on algorithms to estimate age, is also approved but must offer additional verification for youthful-looking adults.

The draft allows age checks by wireless carriers, enabling users to remove restrictions by proving their adulthood to the mobile provider. Providing credit card details, validated by banks, is accepted, and digital identity wallets, incorporating multiple verification methods, are also approved by Ofcom.

Ofcom insists that platforms or applications featuring adult content in the UK must adopt age assurance mechanisms, employing direct verification, facial scans for age estimation, or a hybrid approach.

The regulatory body emphasizes in its press release the inadequacy of weaker measures such as self-declarations, payment methods without age verification, and generic disclaimers or warnings.

Failure to adhere to these guidelines could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10 percent of the company's global revenue, providing substantial financial motivation for platforms like Pornhub to adhere to the regulations.

Facing Critics

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) collaborated on the draft guidance, providing privacy assurances, according to Ofcom. However, Engadget reported critics argue that relying solely on data protection laws and the ICO for privacy protection is insufficient.

Abigail Burke, program manager at the UK digital rights organization Open Rights Group, expressed concern, stating that the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, currently progressing through parliament, could further weaken existing data protection laws, especially in the context of potentially intrusive schemes.

As emphasized by Abigail Burke, Program Manager at UK digital rights organization Open Rights Group, potential consequences of data being leaked in the context of age verification for explicit content websites are significant.

This includes the risks of blackmail, fraud, relationship damage, and the exposure of individuals' sensitive sexual preferences in vulnerable situations.

Aylo expressed conditional support for age verification, stressing the importance of ensuring safety and privacy. The company also raised concerns about regulations requiring adult sites to collect substantial amounts of highly sensitive personal information, stating that such mandates could jeopardize user safety.