The UK is one step closer to implementing major online porn reform.

The British government announced this week a public consultation period in establishing “a new requirement in law” for providers to place “robust age verification controls for online pornographic content in the UK”.

The ambitious “regulatory framework” will place a responsibility on adult sites to implement an age verification system or risk being shut down. For sites operating outside the UK, the new law will force UK businesses such as online payment services or those buying ad space not to deal with the offending sites in hopes of cutting off revenue sources and making them comply.

The goal is to deny children under 18 access to pornographic material online.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

It remains to be seen what method of verification will be used. Among those being considered is the commonly used credit card verification process as well as a more controversial plan that will use electoral roll data, or information tied to a phone service provider.

Detractors of the initiative have slammed the push saying it will forcibly link people’s identity to their use of adult sites.

Executive Officer of advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Australia Jon Lawrence cast doubt on the feasibility of implementing the sweeping internet regime.

“There are alarming concerns about people’s consumption of entirely legal adult websites being linked back to their electoral information,” Mr Lawrence said. “There’s potential for real damage to people if that information is somehow compromised.”

He believes the law was borne out of “entirely good intentions” but said it would be “impossible” to stop minors from accessing online porn.

“There will always be readily available porn on the internet no matter what you do,” Mr Lawrence said. “These sorts of top down approaches simply don’t work.

“They’re trivial to circumvent. Any 13-year-old could do so ... without much difficulty.”

Meanwhile others have questioned the merits of the plan on ideological grounds.

Law and privacy lecturer at the University East Anglia, Paul Bernal, said requiring age verification on all pornographic websites is “a very dangerous precedent to set”.

“Are they expecting full-scale web-blocking of legal porn sites, Pirate Bay style? Or asking Google not to link to them?” Dr Bernal said.

However supporters say the system needed to ensure teenagers don’t develop a warped understanding of sexual relations.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the Britain’s NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) told the BBC a system of age verification was a “matter or urgency”.

In a major win for the legislation, PornHub, one of the world’s major porn sites has announced it will comply with the new law.

“Pornhub will comply fully with any robust legislative and relevant local measures that emerge from this consultation,” a spokesperson for the website said.

COULD AUSTRALIA FOLLOW SUIT?

Much has been made of the social impact of freely available pornography. The detrimental effects are better understood than ever, leading to a growing level of backlash among some communities.

For instance, Utah introduced a bill this month curtailing access to online porn describing the high rate of consumption by residents as “a public health emergency”.

Governments will certainly be keeping an eye on the success of the UK system when implemented, but a previous push by the Rudd government to enact similar age restrictions on adult content floundered after considerable public pushback.

After years of debate, former communications minister Stephen Conroy was forced to backtrack on an internet filter amid concerns it would slow internet speeds.

“There was immense backlash against the Rudd government filter,” Mr Lawrence said. “I expect the same in the UK.”

He doesn’t think the Australian government will return to a similar approach in the wake of the UK’s decision, but said “until we have politicians and policy makers with the technical knowledge” to understand the futility of internet filters than we will keep returning to the well of censorship.

For him, the solution to the problem comes in the form of proper education and locally installed software controlled by parents to prevent their children accessing unwanted sites.

Virtual reality porn is the next frontier in pornographic entertainment.Source:Supplied