UK - 1st DEC - NEW AGE VERIFICATION NESSESARY

[Kate]

Hello all,

This only applies to members assessing from the UK.

http://www.xbiz.com/news/europe/187868

I am unsure how this will work, if ISPs will be forced to block R18 websites & content or if it will be the individual websites in the UK, or any worldwide website when visiting from a UK IP, until you have verified your age and opted in.
Sadly I cannot find too much online about it, however xbix is very up to date & accurate.

Just a heads up incase anyone experiences difficulties along the line come December.

[CrankieMonster]

As I understand this, there is already a 'parental control' filter built into some UK ISPs at the point of signing. That however, is simply an opt-out option by the account owner. I think this is more a UK requirement that sites providing 18+ content must provide a physical means to verify age rather than just a 'yes I'm an adult' tickbox. How they intend to enforce that with overseas sites though I'm not sure. I'll do some digging on this.

For what it's worth, clips4sale.com is in parental control filters as O2 already block it on my mobile (Three, incidentally, do not). Our forum, however, is not, and is unlikely to in the future as it does not host its own content.

[Kate]

No, but it may effect c4s, it's not really out there in the public, it seems everyone in the industry knows but customers do not, it's going to be a quiet few days in the UK come the 1st-3rd I suspect!
Three don't block anything, you are right but they do block SMS, try explaining to someone foreign on their helpine you want to enable dirty texts. I rang around 4 times and it's still blocked on my UK contract phone.
Yes thats exactly correct, a yes or no screen on a website will no longer be sufficient, there are a few companies offering of verify you independently (No idea how this works) or I think most sites will do their screenings with credit cards.
Although personally I think this is ridiculous, you have to be 18 to get an internet contract, you have to be 18 to have a phone on contract, if people choose to take these out and their children use the internet or one of the phones is given to the child, its the parents responsibility to ensure their laptops have blocking on and adult content is blocked from phones.
I dont really think it should be something we are forced into, bit oppressive really I think.

[CrankieMonster]

It's supposed to stop kids using mummy and daddy's internet and discovering porn sites. I suppose free previews is still damaging enough to warrant concealing, it makes sense. Even through totally innocuous web browsing when I was younger I came across some pretty dodgy sites entirely by accident - toilet.com we put in for a laugh when I was about 12, it was some creepy toilet webcam website where you could apparently watch women secretly being filmed in public toilet cubicles. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Downside is though it's a nuisance for people that run the websites and for legitimate consumers. Still, children and adult content/behaviour is a hot topic lately, so I can sort of understand it, even if it's very annoying. They have categorically stated it affects UK sites only, so US and OI imagine european-based websites will be unaffected by this particular ruling, though of course each country might have its own ruling on it.