The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation is calling on the Government to immediately implement Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 – which would make it illegal for commercial pornography websites to allow children to access online pornography.
Right now, the Government is allowing children across the UK to have unfettered access to hardcore, violent pornography websites. Powers granted by the Digital Economy Act allow the Government to force pornography websites to prevent children accessing their sites. Yet the Government is refusing to use these powers. It is currently choosing to allow pornography websites to let children access their sites – and profit from this.
The Government’s draft Online Harms Bill will not fill this regulation gap. The Government must use the powers it already has to stop pornography websites allowing children to access their sites.
Child protection cannot wait. The Government must require age verification checks on pornography websites now.
Watch Dame Diana Johnson MP speaking on the urgent need to implement age verification checks for pornography websites: