Websites that publish pornography will be legally required to verify the age of their users under new online safety rules, the Government announced today.
In response, Barnardo’s Interim Co-CEO Lynn Perry said: “We are delighted that the Government has responded to concerns raised by Barnardo’s and other child safety organisations and will be including age verification for all sites that show pornographic content in the scope of the Online Safety Bill.
“We know from our direct work across the UK that exposure to pornography has a hugely harmful impact on children’s mental health, body image and their understanding of healthy relationships.
“As we have explained to Ministers, children are stumbling upon violent and extreme pornography as young as six years old and these measures will finally help to stop that happening. However, this needs to be implemented as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more children will continue to be harmed. We look forward to working with the Government to ensure these plans are enacted swiftly and effectively.”