Online security law: online security right in the United Kingdom will change the way we use the Internet

If you live in the United Kingdom, the way you access the Internet is about to change fundamentally. A new law, the online security law, comes into force on July 25 and will see a wide range of online suppliers asking British users to check their age through selfies, identification documents and other methods in order to access special services. Other countries are looking closely and can follow the plunge, potentially causing a huge change in the way we operate online.

What is the online security law?

The law aims to protect children from presentation to harmful online content. This implies preventing them from access to pornography and also content that encourages self -control, represents violence or encourages dangerous cascades.

Such content remains legal so that adults can access online, but they will now have to prove their age to do so – which is not currently routine. The law also aims to prevent the spread of illegal content, ranging from sexual abuse to children to terrorism fraud.

Ella Bradshaw to the British national company for the prevention of cruelty to children (NSPCC) says that it is like aligning the Internet in accordance with the sale of alcohol or cigarettes in the real world. “Adults must prove who they are sure and preserving confidentiality all the time. I see this more as a culture change to repair this gap that we had online, ”she says.

When does it take effect?

The deadline to comply with the legislation is July 25, but its effects have already been felt. In recent months, many small websites have closed rather than risking falling legislation, which can impose fines of up to 18 million pounds sterling or 10% of world income, according to both.

More recently, the major websites announce how they will respect the obligations of the law, and most of them plan to use third -party age verification tools. Earlier this week, Reddit began to check the age of Users of the United Kingdom using a tool called Persona, while Bluesky will use a service called Kids Web Services. Bluesky says that anyone who is not checked will be blocked by the content of adults and will not be authorized either to use direct messaging. The main pornography sites like Pornhub have also said they would introduce age verification.

So how do you check your online age?

One thing is certain, click on a button that says “I am over 18” will no longer cut it. The British regulator of OFCOM will be responsible for applying the law, and has clearly indicated that more rigorous checks will be necessary. These can take the form of downloading the analyzes of the government’s identification documents or using the Reconnaissance of the AI facial which determines whether the person in front of a camera is 18 years old or not.

Persona, for example, obliges users to download a photo of themselves or a photo of a driving license or a passport. Reddit will not have access to this data, and Persona promises to delete it in a week after age verification. New scientist Asked Persona to explain the process, but the company could not comment before the publication.

Should we be wary of age verification?

Alan Woodward at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom says that the confidence of websites – in particular those “doubtful by nature”, such as pornography publishers – directly with your data is far from ideal. But that is sent to the third -party verification tool chosen from a site also gives you little control over who you must share your data. He says that the government could intervene and execute the verification itself, but there are still confidentiality problems with the implementation of the State which websites you frequent.

“Personally, I would minimize the donation of all online information which is not strictly necessary,” explains Woodward. “I think that the verification of the age of the AI -based face is probably the best way to cross this mines field.”

Will age verification work?

It is relatively easy for websites and online services to say where users are based, which means that British users can be manufactured to check their age and that others will not need. But some people could use tools called virtual private networks (VPN) to appear as if they were based elsewhere to bypass checks. These are not a niche product: almost half of the Internet users in the United Kingdom have used one.

“VPNs are lawful services that can be used by people in the United Kingdom. Although age insurance makes the online space safer for children, it is not a miracle solution. We recognize that determined adolescents may well find ways to access online pornography, “said a spokesperson for Ofcom. “Our advice is clear that platforms should not accommodate, share or allow content that encourages the use of VPN as a means of bypassing online safety measures.”

What does all this mean for people outside the United Kingdom?

Other countries also introduce or study measures similar to the United Kingdom. In France, large pornography websites are designed to verify the age of their users, while Australia plans to ban social media for children under 16. At some point, it can become easier for websites to check the age of each rather than trying to selectively apply the patchwork of international legislation.