UK pr0n viewers plan to circumvent smut-block measures – survey

Just a third of Brit smut-watchers say they will play ball with the government's planned age-check system for online adult content when it finally comes into force. A survey of 25,000 viewers of porn site xHamster found that 34.5 per cent said they would comply with the new law, which will require people to verify they are 18 …

[Anonymous Coward]

No Reg article on Article 13 ?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's an EU directive and therefore good ( Since they sacked anybody with a differing opinion and pivoted into Storage, DevOps, Leftism and EU fanaticism )

[MiguelC]

Didn't you hear? It got upgraded to Article 17

[John G Imrie]

Actually

Article 13 became new Article 15 and old Article 15 became new Article 17, confused you will be after the next instalment of Soap.

[Charlie Clark]

There have been loads.

[phuzz]

How about this one?

Or this in depth look from last month?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've just done a google and I can't find anything concrete about this yet.

Have the passes even been designed yet?

[GruntyMcPugh]

The govt haven't involved themselves in the actual mechanism of age verification, they've just said sites accessed by Brits must have it,.... the rest happens by magic, apparently.

Oddly, they didn't specify the Government Gateway IDs must be used,... because that project was so successful,...... :- /

[Craig 2]

Government Gateway IDs

Please speak clearly "My penis is my password"

[Anonymous Coward]

I have been 'testing' a number of executive sites...

Including picking training films of different genres and different levels of 'diversity' and 'inclusion'. I can't remember what the point of this post was.

[MiguelC]

"a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

Yeah, right!

As Clouseau would put it, "They would say that, wouldn't they"?

[Tim99]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

MRDA - Wikipedia Link.

[Tim Jenkins]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

For at least a week, anyway. Well, maybe a few days. Until later this evening, certainly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

"For at least a week, anyway. Well, maybe a few days. Until later this evening, certainly."

Probably not at work.

[Charlie Clark]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

and of these, 152 % said they had never used porn in the first place and didn't know what it was anyway.

[Carpet Deal 'em]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

The truth of that statement depends heavily on whether you consider torrents as "online".

[Rustbucket]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

And is 17.7% really a large proportion?

"With the proper treatment a large proportion of people will survive your illness . . . in fact just over one in six."

[PassingStrange]

Re: "a large proportion – 17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn"

I believe you mean "Mandy Rice-Davies".

[alain williams]

When the data breach happens ...

which, and how many, government minister's wife/husband will have been found ogling skin ?

Or fleece for the Welsh Assembly.

[MJI]

Shared proof

Can we have details using Theresa Mays ID please?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Shared proof

Can we have details using Theresa Mays ID please?

Remember Jacqui Smith claiming it on House of Commons expenses after her husband watched it ?

[The Nazz]

Re: Shared proof

Yeah, but can you blame the poor man? He should have been given a sizeable annual allowance.

Typical MP, wasting public money when there's a hell a lot of it for free. So a friend tells me.

[Swarthy]

Re: Shared proof

Will Teresa May need an ID, or can she get away with watching her previous efforts?

[Anonymous Coward]

Usenet, anyone?

I wonder if these measures will give Usenet a new lease of life? For that matter, I wonder if the Government even know that Usenet exists, never mind torrents, NFC file transfers, VPNs, file tunnelling and so on...

[adnim]

Re: Usenet, anyone?

Usenet is not what it once was, it takes some skill to avoid kiddie pron should you browse alt.binaries.pictures.mature.* And them trojans in movie files and game iso's. Not that I have ever used Usenet for anything other than puritan pursuits alt.see.no.evil.discussion

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Usenet, anyone?

First rule of Usenet, don't talk about Usenet.......

[JohnFen]

I sure would

I'm not a porn-loving citizen in the UK, but if I were, I'd absolutely circumvent the block rather than register with the government. For what I think are obvious reasons.

[Charlie Clark]

Re: I sure would

I'd absolutely circumvent

Erm, forgive me for asking, but how exactly can you absolutely circumvent something? And how does this differ from simply circumventing it?

[Baldrickk]

Re: I sure would

He means that there is no way that he wouldn't circumvent it.

[JohnFen]

Re: I sure would

Yes, this. Thank you. :)

[DCFusor]

Re: I sure would

I was just admiring your careful wording in the original statement.

Thought about going into politics? /joke

[JohnFen]

Re: I sure would

Nah, I can turn a phrase every now and then, but like most people I'm a bit too honest for politics.

[Charlie Clark]

Re: I sure would

You mean he would definitely circumvent it?

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: I sure would

abolutely

[John G Imrie]

Re: abolutely

Fabulous.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: I sure would

> but how exactly can you absolutely circumvent something?

Given a complex government policy you remove the imaginary part by telling it to go multiply itself and adding it to the real part then you root it (preferably in the Aussie sense)

[Anonymous Coward]

"Other concerns cited by users ... that it will drive prices up"

People PAY for their smut?!?

I thought this all stopped (apart from <cough> 'niche' markets) when the lads' mags all went online... not that I know about any of this... and I'll never visit that Lorraine Kelly Appreciation Society site again, m'lud

[Paul Crawford]

Re: "Other concerns cited by users ... that it will drive prices up"

If you want a trustworthy VPN you need to pay. Or somehow they are selling you...

[JohnFen]

Re: "Other concerns cited by users ... that it will drive prices up"

True, but don't assume that just because you're paying, they're not also selling you out on the side.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: @JohnFen

Hmm, you mean being "spit-roasted" in the vernacular of this discussion?

[notamole]

Re: "Other concerns cited by users ... that it will drive prices up"

You don't even need a VPN, only a browser proxy. It's only the website you need to fool, not your ISP.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: @notamole

Not if the ISPs are ordered by the gov to block those sites for not implementing those age-verification tools.

[Ramis101]

Re: @notamole

Yea, cos that worked so well with ISP's blocking access to torrent sites didn't it LOL

[notamole]

Re: @notamole

You're arguing a completely different point to everyone else. The age check would only be applied to users who the website detects are coming from a UK IP address. If you use a browser proxy addon, the IP address the website sees will be the one the proxy gives it, not your real one (exactly like a VPN but you don't need to pay for it). The ISP doesn't factor into that equation at all.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Re: "Other concerns cited by users ... that it will drive prices up"

Tor? Today I am in Iceland, ja?

[ukgnome]

I am support the youth.

I have already started to prepare by saving as much as I can to USB drives that I can leave under hedgerows and in bushes.

*Paris because.... well obvs init

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I am support the youth.

The nation salutes (with the other hand) your selfless actions in helping our young people with such important educational rites of passage.

[The Nazz]

Re: I am support the youth.

Oh come on, it's the youth around here that will be dealing in all the fake codes.

Just like no-one under 18 ever dealt in/used fake ID to get in pubs/bars/clubs.

[wolfetone]

Channel 5 will come back with the softcore/erotic thrillers on a Friday night I think. It's been far too long!

[Adrian 4]

As usual, the law of unintended consequences will apply :

1. More VPNs, less convenience for GCHQ (actually, that's a GOOD consequence)

2. Xhamster and related sites inaccessible without dodgy verification, punters dig deeper for unknown but distinctly nasty places

3. Theresa May's rule noted for pushing erotica underground and hence increasing its scope

[Teiwaz]

Theresa May's rule noted for pushing erotica underground and hence increasing its scope

What is it with the UK government, no matter how much rope they get, they manage to [autoerotically, presumably] hang themselves with it.

Delay every half-thought out poorly considered piece of legislation for ages and still throttle the country with it...

[Flocke Kroes]

There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

You could supply nails for self crucification but how would they hammer the last nail in?

[Teiwaz]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

You could supply nails for self crucification but how would they hammer the last nail in?

They'd find a way. By sheer dint of not understanding it's impossibility, they could nail their heads to the table in the cabinet office with a wet trout.

They only need declare it possible after all.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

they could nail their heads to the table in the cabinet office with a wet trout.

Do you have the video of that? I seem to have misplaced my copy!

In return, I promise that, when I found out how you un-naturally roll oats, I will send you the detailed instructions!

[stiine]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

I'd pay to see that porno.

[Havin_it]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

For some reason I read that as "I'd pay to see that panto."

"He's behind you!"

"Good!"

[John G Imrie]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

Ask a voter?

[BlartVersenwaldIII]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

The crucifix will have been shoddily erected by a lowest-bidder contractor. On bearing the extra load of an MP, it will inevitably unbalance and fall forward flat onto the ground, therefore providing enough force to hammer in the last nail.

[NiceCuppaTea]

Re: There is a reason the UK government prefer rope for hanging themselves

They would pay Crapita 60 billion quid to do it for them.

[Anonymous Coward]

82.3% are refreshingly honest.

[Paul Crawford]

82.3% are refreshingly stickily honest.

Fixed it for you...

[Charlie Clark]

Ew!

[Cynic_999]

Porn is too widely available

The check will not apply to social media posts, file-sharing applications, Usenet or any number of other common sources of digital porn. The government might just as effectively create a new law that bans climate change.

[Mark 85]

Re: Porn is too widely available

The government might just as effectively create a new law that bans climate change.

Well, some country probably will. I'm thinking the US currently since it's a big selling point for certain politicians who are in denial and catering to their religious base*. The race to the bottom (so to speak) is well under way and this is just angle that hasn't been picked up by all the major players.

*Which, as per normal, they will work around any restrictions. Applies to both the elected and those who vote. Got to keep up appearances you know.

[Voidstorm]

Re: Porn is too widely available

Somethiing tells me that the pimply youth of the UK will be the *first* ones to inventively find all the bypass techniques. That's how technology generally works, right? ;)

Seriously, why would any competent netizen voluntarily put that age verification info (credit card, passport, <insert other juicy data nuggets>) into a single-point-of-data-breach hive that's connected to the Internet?

Especially when said hive is acting-as-agent for the outsourcing gubmint? /lol

[0laf]

Paris, well because...

Return of readers wives, Fiesta, Escort and all that lovely cliterature that formed the basis of my youth.

Boys and girls will get the thrill of sharing around stolen truck driver's pron and accusing each other of sticking the pages together. Brexit and jazz mags; the glory days are upon us again indeed!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Paris, well because...

"Brexit and jazz mags;"

Brexit and jizz mags;

FTFY

[Aspie73]

Re: Paris, well because...

No, Jazz mags was correct.

FTFY

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: Paris, well because...

Yeah, but before or after?

[BinkyTheMagicPaperclip]

Re: Paris, well because...

Niiiice

[Teiwaz]

Re: Paris, well because...

No, Jazz mags was correct.

Could be jizz too....

if the publication came with a 'pull-out' in the form of something in a mayonaise packet.

[MrBanana]

Those were the days my friend

As well as some Super 8 films (which we never saw), the dad of a school mate of mine had an extensive collection of magazines that could be pilfered, and then rented out for a small fee. Being "the pusher" in this context I felt obliged to take the high ground and read the articles on steam locomotives rather than debase myself by looking at necked women. Although, I found Knave was my favourite, there was one Christmas issue where...

[ That's a Razzle in my pocket ]

[Charlie Clark]

Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

In the age of online fraud, what a great idea! Your credit card will not be charged, honest.

You really cannot make some of this shit up.

[JohnFen]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

Does a credit card work for age verification in the UK? It doesn't in the US, as it's pretty easy for kids to get prepaid credit cards at most grocery stores.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

Prepaid CREDIT card? Credit Card?????? How can it be a credit card if you have paid upfront?

Cheers… Ishy

[JohnFen]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

In the US, anyway, credit cards and debit cards are two distinctly different things. Although a prepaid credit card is logically the same as a debit card, it is very different in that it uses the credit card system and comes with all the protections that credit cards provide, but debit cards do not.

In effect, it's no different than any other credit card except that the credit limit on it is equal to the amount of funds that you have on deposit.

[Charles 9]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

Not necessarily, especially with the Chips (EMV). VISA Credit, VISA Debit, and US Debit are all distinct things that can be differentiated. They could require a genuine VISA/MasterCard CREDIT card, which by law can only be issued to adults.

[gnarlymarley]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

which by law can only be issued to adults.

Also in the US is that it has been reported a number of times where kids use their parents credit card to pay and bypass the age restrictions. So the UK will figure this bootlegging out an have to ban credit cards as a method of verification. Then they will probably find out the kids are using the other forms of ID and make it criminal so they can try kids in a court of law as adults. What starts in the US seems to migrate to the UK.

[Loud Speaker]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

How can it be a credit card if you have paid upfront?

The "right to free speech" is, in reality, the right to tell blatant lies - hence Amazon's "Pay £7 to get free shipping!"

[katrinab]

Re: Using your credit card to prove your age and/or ID on a porn website

Yes. If you look in the gift cards section in big supermarkets, alongside the iTunes cards, Amazon cards and so on, you will usually see prepaid Visa and Mastercards. Typically they will cost £5 plus whatever credit you get on it, eg a £25 card will cost £30, whereas the ones that are restricted to a single store will cost the face vale of the card.

[Anonymous Coward]

Those under 34 were significantly more likely to have concerns

heads up, youngester, fear not, we shall overcome. Easily.

[Sgt_Oddball]

Re: Those under 34 were significantly more likely to have concerns

Overcome? Not near me you won't.....

[Swarthy]

Re: Those under 34 were significantly more likely to have concerns

Did they just invoke Rule 34?!

[Boris the Cockroach]

The sad thing is

is the block can and will be bypassed by using a VPN... perhaps the tor browser can be used as well to mask a UK ip

Which brings us neatly to "why is'nt the press shouting about it?" and more to the point "shouting about how useless its going to be"

How long is it going to be before the government (of whatever party) extends to block to cover content such as fascist or communist content?

Or how about using the block to cover religious hatred by shutting down discussion and criticism of religions

Or blocking "climate change is bollocks" sites

Remember the government passed the RIPA laws in order to protect us from terrorists and peados... what did it end up being used for.. checking your kids were going to the right school and finding out who let their dog shit on the grass.

As for the ageID thing..... an online record of you using pr0n plus as a bonus which sites you used...... wow cant think of a better target for hacking then blackmail......

[Charlie Clark]

Re: The sad thing is

How long is it going to be before the government (of whatever party) extends to block to cover content such as fascist or communist content?

About three seconds after it becomes law. It's just another snoopers charter.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The sad thing is

Of course! The next increment in regulation is the BBFC (?) noting that some pornography is so disgusting it requires additional restrictions and, thus, monitoring to make sure that no Brit is accessing it,

[Charlie Clark]

Re: The sad thing is

Maybe, doesn't really matter because the sinister aspect is that the law probably gives the government, or interested parties, a way to find out what people are looking and go after them for it.

First they came for the porn fiends and I did nothing…

[amanonthestreet]

Re: The sad thing is

The Government already block sites, try the US site National Enquirer with and without a VPN.

[Barrie Shepherd]

Re: The sad thing is

I think you will find that the National Enquirer is the one blocking access to their US site not the UK government.

Apparently they are concerned about the libel laws in the UK where the burden of proof is fare less than in the US where malice has to be shown as well as the libel.

[Christoph]

Will the Houses of Parliament have a single mechanism to bypass this, or will each politician have to set up their own bypass?

[John Savard]

A Better System

If people who don't have any children in the household could simply have that noted when their internet connection is put in, thus bypassing any future need for age verification on that connection, the privacy issues would be avoided.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: A Better System

You mean like the content filters that every major ISP already offers?

[Voidstorm]

Re: A Better System

Frankly, if a household has opted out of an ISP filter, then age verification from that point of access should be unnecessary, anyway.

The gubmint has enuff snooper lists already in hand...

[ffoulkes]

The can has been kicked a little further down the metaphorical road.....

The commencement date has been put back yet again, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

For the public and the industry to prepare for and comply with age verification, the Government will also ensure a period of up to three months after the BBFC guidance has been cleared by Parliament before the law comes into force. It is anticipated age verification will be enforceable by the end of the year.

[Criminny Rickets]

Alternate Sources

I wonder if this means Usenet will be making a comeback, for those that do not plan to go the VPN route.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Alternate Sources

The problem with usenet twenty years ago was that most ISPs couldn't keep up with the volume of propagated postings.

Social groups could be blocked if someone's religious dogma objected to things like feminism, naturism, or atheism. The objectors would flood a social group with pr0n - then report it to ISPs to get the propagation blocked for that reason.

Eventually most UK ISPs dropped usenet support. There were dedicated usenet suppliers which were subscription only. Don't know what the current coverage is. Paying a subscription with a credit card would be as open to personal tracking abuses as using the pr0nID system.

[Pete4000uk]

Re: Alternate Sources

PlusNet still does usenet.

[Charles 9]

Re: Alternate Sources

Including the alt.binaries groups?

[MrDamage]

17.7 per cent – say they will give up using online porn.

So 17.7% have spent the last 12+ months grabbing local copies of everything on Xhamster.

Was there also a noticeable upsurge in purchases of external HDDs in the same time period?

[mark l 2]

In no way will this stop the majority of people being able to access porn. It might slow them a bit until as the bigger sites will implement it but the more dodgy webmasters will find the IP addresses/Bots used by the BBFC and redirect them to a blackhole or sfw website to avoid having to implement age checks.

It is a law that has been brought in to appease mumsnet readers but it will be about as effective as using a sieve to bail out a sinking ship.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

"it will be about as effective as using a sieve to bail out a sinking ship."

In reality, if you were really quick, and the holes in the sieve not too large or numerous, you could still manage the task at hand :)

[Anonymous Coward]

@mark l 2

Mumsnet is not as purient as you think. My sister forwarded me a link to a discussion they had about whether suspenders go under or over knicks and the pros and cons of each.

It varied between funny and eye watering!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: @mark l 2

If they are wearing knickers with suspenders, they are doing it wrong!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: @mark l 2

Any mention of a fur-coat?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: @mark l 2

"Any mention of a fur-coat?"

According to a neighbour's divorce proceedings in the 1950s - a fur coat can be worn only with shoes when sitting in another man's car.

[katrinab]

Re: @mark l 2

The best description I’ve seen of Mumsnet is “basically 4chan with a glass of prosecco”, or “prosecco stormfront”.

Why it hasn’t been shut down as a hate / terrorist group, I’ve no idea.

[Rustbucket]

What kind of filtering?

Are pron users actually going to need a VPN or is this another scheme where you just change your DNS provider?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What kind of filtering?

If the pr0n site implements the scheme then it will use your apparent IP country origin to decide if you need an ID. Your choice of DNS will have no effect. A VPN exiting outside the UK will get you past that hurdle.

If the pr0n site doesn't implement the scheme then at some point a DNS evasion may be needed if your UK ISP blocks it on government orders. Again a VPN will also bypass that DNS block.

Smaller UK ISPs apparently don't have to implement those blocks?

If a site has less than a third of its material classed as pr0n then the scheme will not apply? Even if you are downloading pr0n amongst other pussy pictures.

Tumblr has lost a lot of users and traffic by blocking many users - irrespective of country - which it classed as posting "sexual" content. Twitter has gained many of those users.

[Sgt_Oddball]

Tor(n) down

Just you wait and see how many downloads of of onion router happen in the UK when this kicks in. TOR's going to be mighty busy me thinks before this all blows over.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tor(n) down

Response times will suck.

[Daniel Bower]

How do you...

Set up a VPN? Asking for a friend.

[Ronome]

Re: How do you...

Lots of vpn providers out there. I have been using them for years. Not just for pron i just don't like to tracked on what i do on the web-usenet yes i still use it since 1997.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How do you...

But how many of them can be truly relied upon and aren't just government shills?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How do you...

I run openvpn as a server in my office in Layer 2 (TAP) mode. I can throw a client on a VPS anywhere in the world within minutes. Then I just set default static route to the internal virtual IP of the new client for any machine I wish to appear as being "there."

That's one approach. But there is still the matter of disguising my identity as the administrator or user of the VPS. Which leads to my essential confusion about much of the discussion here...

This matter is not really one of hiding your IP. It's one of hiding the identity of whose sticky fingers are on the keyboard and of whose leering eyes behold the screen. When the pols figure that out, maybe they'll require us to use webcams to look back at us. With facial recognition. Because we must recognize the facials.

[PassiveSmoking]

Yeah baby, circumvent my lax security! VPN me and open up all my ports you dirty tramp!

[DrBobK]

Had a VPN for ages for non-pron reasons. Mine costs a trivial amount (less than a pound a week - NordVPN) and was easy to set up and use. Surprises me that everyone doesn't have one. You can get local news from countries that block it otherwise, in reverse get UK-only sites when abroad, get US media services, and so on.

[Anonymous Coward]

"You can get local news from countries that block it otherwise, [...]"

Some geographically restricted media sites try to block when you are connecting through a known VPN.

[Mr Dogshit]

Oh well

I suppose I'll just go back to page 243 of the Littlewoods catalogue.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: Oh well

Garden tools? wow

[John G Imrie]

Re: Oh well

Rule 34?

[You aint sin me, roit]

Re: Oh well

Rakes and hoes...

[Anonymous Coward]

VPN?

Sorry, but I don't see how a VPN overcomes the requirement to associate a uh, viewing session with a viewer identification tag obtained out-of-band. I do get that it could impede traceability in the case of identification fraud, but that's not the primary concern, is it?

Anyway, if this raises awareness or promotes the practice of surfing though Tor and like, there's your silver lining. Something for the "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" crowd to chew on. So porn could lead the way on adoption of tech once again.

[MrXavia]

Re: VPN?

They only need to block UK viewers, you don't think these sites will enforce this on non UK residents do you?

[wabbit02]

publishers punished - not the user

Rember with this its the content provider that is liable, not the viewer (It doesn't criminalize watching porn, it criminalizes not having an age check).

So VPN's etc are all fine, but there is no exemption for the content provider built into the legislation to absolve them from people using this method if it can be accessed from the UK without an age check = liable (and yes fully aware of the issues with this - just pointing out that's how its written).

They can compel hosting companies, Advertisers etc to roll over on the site owner as well.

[RedCardinal]

Re: publishers punished - not the user

>>Remember with this its the content provider that is liable, not the viewer

About 99% of porn sites are owned by non UK companies and situated outside the UK so the chances of any of them being successfully prosecuted are nil.

>>They can compel hosting companies, Advertisers etc to roll over on the site owner as well.

Not if said companies are situated outside the UK....

[Jason Bloomberg]

Unintended consequences

I'm old enough to remember Soho in its grubbier days, with some hilariously entitled 'plumbing mags' in the windows, the softer top-shelf fare, the stuff behind the counter, the hedgerow exchange library. Perhaps we'll see a resurgence of all that with more 'specialist shops' appearing on our high streets. Making Britain Great Again.

I think there's one guarantee for the government; that it won't work half as well as they imagine it will. There will be a short period while Google is flooded with "how do I...?" searches to get round the issue and a revival of Crackz sites offering registered accounts details everyone can use. Then quickly back to the job in hand, as they say.

[Deimos]

Re: Unintended consequences

Yup should be sorted in no time like brexit, knife crime and anything current government has tried to touch.

[Anonymous Coward]

SO THE SITES WILL BE LIABLE

THE ONES THAT ARE DOMICILED IN techno crazy countrys like vanatu or outer pogromia ? to which the gov will have no means of enforcing any such rules or fines imposed for breaking such rules. I.m still dancing round the may-pole ...More info re usenet would be heplfull

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: SO THE SITES WILL BE LIABLE

A quick google gave this usenet supplier comparison site from late 2018.

The cookies overlay allows you to see details and "reject all" then "leave". Doesn't kick you off the site.

[SVV]

I demand a second Sexit referendum

To decide whether we end up getting a hard or a soft one.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's all been delayed again (probably NSFW)

The word on the web is that it's been delayed again.

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/03/27/porn-age-verification-law-delayed-days-before/

or

https://www.frolicme.com/news/further-delay-to-uk-g​overnments-age-verification/ (this site is NSFW)

Whether it's just been delayed with no intention of changing anything & just allowing the industry to come up with products or whether they are re-opening some sort of discussion isn't clear, but the person who pointed me to this delay suggested that the DCMS are finally asking questions they've not been prepared to talk about before.

[katrinab]

Re: It's all been delayed again (probably NSFW)

Or more likely that Parliament is in a complete state of paralysis at the moment and facing its biggest constitutional crisis ever, even worse than the Oliver Cromwell era, so porn laws are just not a priority right now.

As an example, they’ve been without a Minister for Disabled People for two weeks now with no immediate signs that they are going to appoint anyone.

[Zippy´s Sausage Factory]

So their plan is to restrict legit access, pushing people towards piracy.

A brave move... and I'm sure the UK entertainment industry is delighted by the prospect of so many newcomers discovering the delights of peer-to-peer file sharing.

[NonSSL-Login]

Stats will show...

that one person watches 54,578 hours of porn per hour....once someones age ID details are entered in to the BugMeNot site.

[Pangasinan Philippines]

Topless Darts?

I was hoping it would return to our screens one day.

Oh well . . .

[Spamfast]

Re: Topless Darts?

Topless Darts!!??

Is that a game where points win prizes?

Cheque please!

[Omgwtfbbqtime]

Re: Topless Darts?

Don't forget the business news:

Tiffany's Big City Tips!

[Barrie Shepherd]

Upset tourists

It's going to hit the tourist industry!

Imagine all those tourists logging into their expensive London hotel's WiFi to be told they can't watch a bit of (legal) porn without handing over their credit card info or Passport details.