Age checks for porn: A first step, not a full stop

This summer the UK took a huge step forward in making the internet safer for children. At the heart of the Online Safety Act are the age verification provisions.

From the end of July, all social media platforms and commercial porn sites had to put in place robust and effective age gates to stop under-18s from accessing pornographic content. Platforms who fail to comply will be investigated and could face fines or court orders to stop them streaming in the UK.

CARE has long advocated for age checks on online porn. Children as young as seven have been stumbling across really graphic content entirely by accident because it is so prevalent. So to reach this point, after more than a decade of campaigning and many a twist and turn to get here, is a source of real joy.