Page 56 - Payout Magazine Online Volume 8.4

he UK will be enforcing mandatory age- entertainment sites are forced to implement a Rather than have adult sites operating in
Tverification for visitors to gain access to more robust age-verification system. muddy waters, mandatory age verification has
websites featuring adult material sometime in been delayed until it can be made clear about
2018. The original deadline was set for April how said sites should manage proof of age.
2018, but things have fallen off track, with the
all age verification will be completed via a UK government recently declaring they are The role of porn regulation has fallen to the
third-party, and any sites which fail to comply currently not in a position to adequately police British Board of Film classification (BBFc), a
will face fines of up to $250,000. if the process porn sites for infringements. Now, the timeline logical choice considering they are responsible
all goes smoothly, it’s highly likely that the UK’s for enforcement sits somewhere near the end for creating appropriate age classifications for
measures for age verification will inspire other of 2018. most forms of media entertainment including
governments of the world to follow suit. movies, games, and music videos.
An announcement was made by the UK’s
The adult entertainment business is a global Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport It will be within the scope of the BBFC
multi-billion-dollar industry, with most sites for a £25 million injection of funds into 5G to issue fines to non-compliant sites up to
being accessible to everyone regardless of projects such as drones for smarter farming, £250,000 (around $346,000), or 5 percent of
age. in most cases, age verification is a basic and autonomous vehicle research. As part a site’s turnover.
procedure requiring nothing more than for the of the announcement, which was delivered
visitor to check a box agreeing they are over 18. as more of a sidenote, the government also They will also have the power to issues
declared that they had been unable to draw up orders for ISPs to block sites, and service
Ever since the Digital Economy Act clear guidelines for which adult sites needed to providers to cease working with sites who
passed into law in the UK last year (2017), it’s comply. don’t conform to the new laws and regulations
inevitable that there will come a time when adult – including payment processors and on-site
advertisers. Social networks will also be
responsible for cutting ties with
non-compliant adult sites.

FSc:

The U.K.

Digital

Economy act

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