45% of porn users have accessed sites without age checks since July, poll shows

Nearly half of adult pornography users have accessed sites without age checks since new verification rules came into force, research suggests.

A poll by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) found that since the law changed in July, 45% of 1,469 people who use pornography had gone on websites without age checks to avoid putting in their personal information.

The charity fears that adults who want to avoid giving their identity details are being pushed onto riskier sites and could be more likely to see child abuse images.

Dr Alexandra Bailey, the Foundation’s head of psychology and associate professor at the University of Roehampton, said: “Age verification is vital to protect children, and we fully support it.

“But we also need to recognise that some adults are choosing riskier sites to avoid age checks.

“These sites can expose people to harmful material, including illegal content depicting child sexual abuse.

“Even if you’re not looking for it, you could encounter it – and that can have serious, life-changing consequences.”

The research also suggested that 29% of pornography users had used a VPN to avoid age checks.

LFF, a charity that aims to stop people viewing child abuse images, commissioned a survey of 3,724 adults in November.

Of those who said they had visited unregulated porn sites, 39% said they had seen content that made them uncomfortable, and 40% said that they had been put off visiting the same site again.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs, said: “While I wholeheartedly believe that online child sexual abuse is preventable, not inevitable, it’s an issue that continues to grow in prevalence and severity year on year.

“Protecting children from harm is a responsibility we all share, and whilst policing works every day to target the most harmful criminals intent on abusing children online, we must see greater action from technology companies to make their platforms safer.

“Age verification checks introduced by the Online Safety Act mark a positive step forward – but it’s clear more work needs to be done to keep the public and our children safe online.

“The work of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation is fundamental in intercepting those who do or could pose a risk to children, and I would encourage anyone who is worried about their online behaviour to get help now, don’t let it escalate.”

Rules were changed in July last year under the Online Safety Act, so that websites that allow access to pornography should have strong age checks in place to stop children accessing harmful material.

In December, AVS Group, that runs 18 adult websites, was fined £1 million by regulator Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks, plus a further £50,000 for failing to respond to information requests.

LFF runs a helpline for those who want to stop viewing child abuse images or are concerned about a loved one’s behaviour. Stop It Now is on 0808 1000 900 or can be contacted online.

Internet Watch Foundation chief executive Kerry Smith said: “Platforms need to do all they can to comply with the Online Safety Act (OSA) and it is highly concerning that age verification measures are not being implemented on certain platforms.

“Safeguards on pornography sites are essential to protect children from accessing pornography, which we know, if viewed at a young age, can normalise harmful sexual behaviours and leave children more vulnerable to grooming from predators.

“There needs to be strong enforcement of the OSA to ensure robust and meaningful safety measures are put in place on pornography platforms, including the use of deterrence messaging and signposting for adults to appropriate support services.

“We would also encourage the Government to bring in even more robust legislation so online pornography is treated just as it is in the offline world.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Change is happening, and the tide on online safety is beginning to turn for the better.

“Last year saw important changes for people, with new measures across many sites and apps now better protecting UK users from harmful content, particularly children.

“But we need to see much more from tech companies this year and we’ll use our full powers if they fall short.”