UK porn laws may require Reddit and Twitter users to verify their age to access the platforms

By Alma Fabiani

Published Feb 9, 2022 at 11:32 AM

Reading time: 1 minute

27263

Commonly known as ‘the porn block’, SCREENSHOT first reported on the age-verification law for commercial porn sites back in 2019, after it was passed as part of the 2017 Digital Economy Act and was initially expected to be in place by April 2018. Fast forward to 2022, and the porn law plans are still in motion, with new layers being added to it as we speak.

The proposed law will see individual British internet users required to hand over a form of identification—such as a passport, driving licence or credit card—to an age verification provider, which would then tell a website hosting porn that the user is over 18. At first, it only seemed to impact pornographic websites. But as most internet users know by now, NSFW content can also easily be found on Reddit and Twitter, where users don’t have to go through any thorough age verification.

The two platforms are among the few remaining mainstream social networks that continue to host large quantities of explicit adult material, which explains why Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr have managed to slip through the cracks so far. Facebook and Instagram already have strict bans on pornography, while Tumblr removed all adult material from its service in 2018.

Ministers said that social networks “where a considerable quantity of pornographic material is accessible” will have to conform to the same age verification rules as other commercial pornography websites. Outlets that fail to prove they have robust age checks could be fined 10 per cent of their global revenue by the media regulator Ofcom or risk being blocked altogether by British internet service providers.

Following that thought, The Guardian theorised how such a move could “leave Twitter and Reddit facing a choice of either verifying which British users are over 18 or finding a way to remove adult material from their services in the UK.”

The cost of age verification would be about 15 to 20p a person for websites, which could impact smaller platforms negatively. Furthermore, building trust with users about how their data is handled would be key to ensuring widespread adoption.

So, what do you say Reddit and Twitter? It looks like the ban is finally going to be put in place. Will you follow in Facebook and Tumblr’s footsteps or will you implement the age verification system to gatekeep explicit content?

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

Did the Daily Mail shut down the TikTok parody account History Mail?

By Abby Amoakuh

A femicide crisis is silently unfolding in Germany. We asked experts to weigh in on the reasons why

By Abby Amoakuh

Meta now allows content calling women property and household items on its social platforms

By Charlie Sawyer

Women are having their images stolen from Vinted and posted on misogynistic websites

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Is Millie Bobby Brown going to play Britney Spears in a new biopic?

By Abby Amoakuh

Would you drink mayonnaise? New viral Japanese drink by Lawson divides the internet

By Charlie Sawyer

What is Liam’s Law? Fans start petition to protect musicians’ mental health following One Direction star’s death

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Celebrities call out Blue Origin for sending Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez to space

By Abby Amoakuh

Are Bhad Bhabie and Alabama Barker feuding? 2025’s hottest rap beef explained

By Charlie Sawyer

Alex Cooper expands the Unwell universe with new dating reality show Overboard for Love

By Abby Amoakuh

Deepfakes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, and Tom Hanks promoting erectile dysfunction drug go viral

By Abby Amoakuh

Why Gen Z are cancelling Call Her Daddy following Amy Schumer’s controversial appearance

By Abby Amoakuh

Euphoria fans freak out as major storyline for season three gets leaked

By Sam Davies

These scream queens walked so horror it girl Jenna Ortega could run

By Charlie Sawyer

Anna Kendrick’s revelations about her 7-year abusive relationship on Call Her Daddy matter more than you think

By Charlie Sawyer

The Girl’s Spot London female-only gym faces backlash after CEO reveals it will exclude trans women

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

The cozy gaming trend is empowering women to dominate space in a male-centred industry

By Charlie Sawyer

How a viral Etsy review sparked a feminist movement on TikTok by inspiring women to embrace the bush

By Abby Amoakuh

Pregnant women in the US more likely to die from murder than complications, cancer, or accidents

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Alix Earle sues Gymshark for dropping $1 million deal over pro-Israel posts