The UK's controversial porn block will come into force on July 15

[brooklynite]

Source: Wired

After lengthy delays, the UK government has finally announced that the controversial porn block will come into force on July 15.

People wanting to access pornographic images and videos online in the UK will have to prove they are over 18. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will be responsible for ensuring that websites comply with the new laws.

From July 15, providers of online pornography will be required by law to carry out age-verification checks on all UK visitors to their websites. Websites that fail to implement age-verification technology by this date could be blocked in the UK, the government has said.

Read more: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/porn-block-uk-date-confirmed

[ananda]

1. Why is this controversial?

???

[flyingfysh]

2. There is no reliable automated way to detect pornography

Images which are porn in one context can be art or medically useful information in another.

If you have a web site which allows visitor posts, are you going to insist that all posts be reviewed by a human? Is a web site liable if a user posts something the web site owner is unaware of?

[ansible]

6. Britain's nanny state interventionism is going mad

There's just no end in sight to it.

[IronLionZion]

8. DUers have posted images and videos here that could be flagged as porn

it's a lot for the mods to be responsible for when there are members under 18 here. Many discussion boards and blogs with user submitted content could run into legal consequences or choose to close. Some international sites will just block access to all UK users to make it easier to manage.

Age verification adds administrative burden

[SwissTony]

3. Does this stop UK users from accessing, say, American sites? n/t

[shawn703]

4. It appears so

If they don’t implement age verification then those foreign sites will be blocked in the UK.

[Ligyron]

5. So, the kids in the UK won't be allowed to watch Parliament proceedings now?

Tsk, tsk, however will they learn the Facts of Life?

[inwiththenew]

7. Just get a VPN

"verification by credit card, passport or driving license or a “porn pass” that can be purchased from a local shop." All administered by a private party? Fuck that shit.

[moonseller66]

9. Just Porn????

So when does the Violence on the News, Soap Opera Sex, Violent Games Online, Lying Commercials, Lying Political Ads, Obscene Music Blocks go into effect?

[Gumboot]

10. Priorities, eh?

Never mind sorting out Brexit, ending austerity or saving the NHS...

Britain sinks further into authoritarian hell, day by day.

Emigrating was the best decision I ever made, and I ain't going back.

[crazytown]

11. NB: The Communications Decency Act (1996)

passed with near unanimous approval by Congress.