C ome July 15, 2019, internet users in Britain attempting to visit major pornography sites will be confronted with a question: How old are you? Users can verify their age online, by submitting official government IDs or credit card information. Just a few months out, and after multiple embarrassing delays, this is very much a work in progress. What is taking shape is an enforcement regime made up not just of actual regulators and quasi-regulators but also major pornographers. It is a system that may not only fail to accomplish the law’s stated purpose (to keep children from stumbling upon adult content), but which also risks being captured by the biggest name in online porn, a multinational streaming conglomerate called MindGeek.

Source: New York Times May 03, 2019 16:58 UTC