Five million extra online age checks a day are being carried out in the UK since the introduction of age-gating for pornography sites, according to new data from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA). The checks became mandatory on Friday under the Online Safety Act.
Iain Corby, executive director of the AVPA, said: 'As a result of new codes under the Online Safety Act coming into force on Friday, we have seen an additional 5m age checks on a daily basis, as UK-based internet users seek to access sites that are age-restricted.'
The UK has also seen a surge in popularity of virtual private networks (VPNs), which obscure a user's real location. Four of the top five free apps on the Apple download store in the UK are VPN apps, with Proton, the most popular, reporting an 1,800% increase in downloads.
Ofcom, the communications regulator, said it could start formal investigations into inadequate age checking this week. An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'Until now, kids could easily stumble across porn and other online content that’s harmful to them without even looking for it. Age checks will help prevent that.'
Punishments for breaching the act include up to 10% of worldwide revenue or blocking access to the site. Major pornography providers including Pornhub have pledged to implement strict age checks.
