The latest review of access to pornography in Britain has caused a significant drop in visitors to the most popular adult sites.
According to Pornhub, the most visited adult content site in the United Kingdom, the number of British visitors has fallen 77% since July.
This month marked the entry into force of the Online Safety Act, the British law that establishes some of the world's strictest regulations on access to online pornography.
As of July 25, visitors must verify that they are over 18 years old, using one of the following methods: credit card, photo ID, or a selfie to verify age.
The aim of the rules is to make it harder for minors to access explicit content. The effect has been immediate: a drastic drop in the number of Britons watching pornography.
Mark Jones, a partner at law firm Payne Hicks Beach, described the decline as "dramatic."
"The news that Pornhub has lost 77% of its UK traffic since July, following the introduction of age verification procedures under the Online Safety Act, is a remarkable figure," he said.
The law requires online platform operators to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including pornography, content that encourages self-harm or suicide, dangerous challenges, serious violence or hate speech.
Violators of the law can be fined up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, while in extreme cases, companies can be banned from operating in Britain.
Porn operators have seven ways to verify the age of visitors, including photo ID, facial age estimation, mobile network verification, credit card verification, email, digital identity services and open banking.
Research shows that one in ten British children aged 8–14 visit pornography sites at least once a month. A study by the Internet Matters Foundation found that 7 in 10 children aged 9–13 have been exposed to harmful content online, including hate speech and violence.
Professor Elena Martellozzo, director of the Childlight European Hub, considered the drop in traffic to Pornhub "a major victory for child protection."
"Children have always been just a click away from explicit content. This practical measure helps ensure that adult spaces are for adults and protects young people from harmful content," she said.
The latest data also shows a 56% drop in searches for pornography on Google since the law came into effect.
What is the Online Safety Act?
The Online Safety Act 2023 places new duties on social media companies and search engines to protect their users. The law has a particular focus on children, requiring platforms to prevent them from accessing harmful or age-inappropriate content and to provide clear ways for reporting problems.
Adult users also benefit, as platforms need to be more transparent about potentially harmful content and give people control over the types of content they want to see. /GazetaExpress/
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