Report: U.K. Web Users Distrust Age Verification

Report: U.K. Web Users Distrust Age Verification

LOS ANGELES — As mandatory online age verification comes to the U.K., service providers seek to field solutions even as consumers reveal their reluctance to participate in the program over privacy concerns.

According to broadband comparison website Broadband Genie, more than half of web users (56 percent) would not trust their personal details with third party age verification websites. Additionally, only 19 percent said they would be comfortable sharing information directly with adult websites for age verification.

Broadband Genie’s Head of Strategy Rob Hilborn said this will be of particular concern to the UK adult website industry when considering the new mandatory AV rules that soon come into effect.

“The fraud issue surrounding this new system is very worrying,” Hilborn explained. “The advice has always been to only enter your data into legitimate, secure and [trusted] websites — something that came through in the findings from our survey.”

“However, we’ve suddenly got a system that will require millions of users to hand over sensitive data to potential high-risk sites or face being blocked,” Hilborn added. “Addressing the issue of children viewing pornographic content is obviously an important one, but the proposed system to tackle this feels cack-handed and high risk to the public.”

In a recent statement Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said the new age verification measures would be “fully in place” by April 2018 and will become mandatory on all adult sites. However, the Government’s own assessment of the policy has identified that the risk of online fraud could rise “significantly” through false verification systems and spoof websites used to collect user data.

“Any verification system that requires a user to submit personal details is going to be of interest to cyber criminals,” Information Assurance and Cyber Security expert Vince Warrington notes. “When combined with the fact that this system is covering access to pornographic websites, that interest level increases as the opportunities to exploit that data rise.”

“Not only are we looking at a system which (if breached) would allow the attacker to undertake identity theft, it also opens up the possibility of ransom demands too,” Warrington said. “It’s well within the capabilities of most cybercriminal gangs to set up a means of extracting that information — whether that be by spoofing adult websites or creating false verification systems, or even by planting malware on vulnerable websites to get users to enter their data.”

Broadband Genie is an independent switching site providing consumers and businesses with practical help, advice and price comparison for home broadband, mobile broadband, phones, TV services and mobile accessories. Broadband Genie was launched in March of 2004 as a consumer comparison site for broadband that is now one of the largest in the U.K., attracting more than 250,000 visitors each month.

For its AV report, the company surveyed 2,103 web users age 18 and older from across the U.K. between Dec. 14-Jan. 26. For more information about the survey, click here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Go.cam Launches 'Video Spoofing' Solution

Go.cam has announced that its verification solution now features security against video spoofing.

SexLikeReal Releases 'VR Self-Care' Guide

SexLikeReal (SLR) has published a blog post spotlighting “VR Self-Care.”

Brady Mills Agency to Launch 'AgeWallet' Subscription AV Solution

Tech company Brady Mills Agency announced that its subscription-based merchant age verification solution, AgeWallet, will launch in November.

EU Advocate General: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

An advocate general of the European Union’s Court of Justice on Thursday advised the court to rule that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law.

Hentaied Founder Romero 'Mr. Alien' on Fetish, Fantasy and Finding Order in Chaos

A sharp sting pierces the woman’s skin. Something foreign slips beneath the surface. Eggs, maybe. She doesn’t know it yet, but soon her body will become a vessel, a hive, a source of contamination.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for July, August

AEBN has published the top search terms for the months of July and August from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Guardian Devotes Feature Article to XBIZ Amsterdam

British newspaper The Guardian sent a reporter to cover XBIZ Amsterdam earlier this month, resulting in a lengthy article about the annual European adult industry conference.

Pineapple Support Taps Char Borley as Brand Ambassador

Pineapple Support has named Char Borley as its newest brand ambassador.

Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Florida AG Sues Aylo, Segpay Over State AV Law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed lawsuits against Aylo and Segpay on Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for noncompliance with HB3, the state's age verification law.

Show More