I would like to reassure you that my commitment to protecting children online is unwavering. While going online can be hugely beneficial for children, who use the internet for connecting with peers, accessing educational resources and for entertainment, I completely agree that it is vital that children are protected from accessing inappropriate, harmful content, including online pornography.
As you might be aware, the Government announced in October 2019 that it would not commence the age verification provisions of Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017. While I appreciate the frustration with this decision, I must point out that the significantly strengthened Online Safety Bill will be able to go further than the Digital Economy Act’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites.
I am heartened that the Government recognised concerns that were raised about protecting children from online pornography on services which did not fall within the scope of the draft Bill. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has now bolstered the proposed legislation by adding new standalone provisions before the Bill is brought forward to Parliament. This will prevent children from accessing content produced by commercial providers of pornography as well as the sites that allow user-generated content.
By bringing all websites offering pornography online into scope, these measures will go further than provisions contained in the Digital Economy Act and will be able to better protect children from a broader range of harmful content and activity.
Under the proposals, all pornography sites, social media providers, and video-sharing platforms will have a legal duty to verify that those accessing pornographic material are over 18 years old. If they fail to act, Ofcom the independent regulator may issue a fine of up to 10 per cent of global turnover or block them from being accessible in the UK. Bosses of these websites could also be held criminally liable if they fail to cooperate with Ofcom.
Companies are expected to use age assurance or age verification technologies to prevent children from accessing services which pose the highest risk of harm, including online pornography.
Parents deserve peace of mind that their children are protected online from seeing things no child should see, and I am confident that the revised measures can deliver on this.
Finally, I understand that many would like to see the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) designated as regulator to enforce age checks and tackle ‘extreme’ pornography. At present, I am unaware of any such proposals. Instead, under the Online Safety Bill, Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator, will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance.
The Government is working closely with Ofcom to ensure that online services’ new duties come into force as soon as possible following the short implementation period that will be necessary after the Bill’s passage.