Age verification for adult websites in bid to stop children watching porn

Adult websites could be sanctioned if they don't adopt age verification measures in a bid to stop children accessing internet pornography.

How to keep your children safe from online porn

A government consultation published today details plans to create a new regulatory frame-work to tackle the issue which campaigners say is of "deepening concern".

The paper warns while porn sites based in the UK are already required to have robust age controls in place, the most visited porn sites in the UK are actually based elsewhere.

It says there is a "rationale for government intervention" as children would not be able to legally access this type of content in the offline world.

The paper notes that regulators could notify payment providers advertisers who provide services to sites that are in breach of the regulations, enabling them to withdraw services.

Internet Safety and Security Minister Baroness Shields said: “The internet is a tremendous resource for learning and creativity but it is important to make sure that children are able to make the most of all it has to offer in a safe way.

"So we are delivering on our manifesto promise by launching this consultation today, which proposes we require companies providing this pornographic content to ensure they have safeguards in place to ensure those accessing their websites are over 18."

A public consultation on the new regulatory framework will run until 12 April.