The UK’s new Online Safety Act age-check rules are having some unintended consequences.
The law requires pornography websites to verify users’ ages using methods like face scans or driver’s licenses, while online platforms must also prevent minors from accessing adult content.
But according to a Washington Post analysis of Similarweb traffic data from the top 90 porn sites visited in the UK, 14 sites that skipped age verification have seen dramatic traffic growth, with one doubling its visitors year-over-year.
By contrast, many sites that complied saw traffic drop. Some even criticized the law while implementing it, linking to petitions for repeal or offering workarounds.
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Researcher John Scott-Railton of Citizen Lab called it “a textbook illustration of the law of unintended consequences,” saying it penalizes compliant platforms while rewarding those that refuse to participate.
