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The government's age verification rules would never work and would penalise smaller, more ethical creators most.
Solving the serious and dangerous problems of the porn industry often feels like an impossible task. There are extreme disagreements, indeed, about what is even a problem at all.
Many people believe we should be trying to protect sex workers from abuse and exploitation, while others argue that sex work is not a legitimate form of work and that those involved should be discouraged (or banned) from participating. Similarly, while some view porn as a social harm almost by definition, there are those who believe that sexual expression shouldn’t be demonised, and that what we should really strive for is better, safer porn.
Within this debate there are few areas of common ground. But they do exist: things like revenge porn (when pornographic content of someone is shared against their will), images of child sexual abuse, and trafficking within the porn industry. These are complicated to address and difficult to create legislation for, but the universal agreement that they are wrong means they are safe topics: you can guarantee that an attempt to solve these problems will be met with public support.
Which is why a government announcement this week has been criticised by campaigners. It won’t be addressing any of these issues, but instead focuses on banning teenagers from watching it by forcing porn companies to begin using age verification technology to keep out under-18s.
The new rules, announced by Chris Philp, the digital minister, on 8 February, “Safer Internet Day”, require any porn provider large or small to check the ages of all users. Companies which fail to comply will face major fines of up to 10 per cent of their annual worldwide turnover, or a ban on being accessible in the UK. The rules have been added to the Online Safety Bill, a piece of legislation that has been widely criticised for its vagueness, obsession with censorship, puritanical approach to internet use and failure to address the real harms of being online.
This age verification idea appears to be a particular obsession of the Conservatives. A similar initiative – dubbed the “porn block” – was announced by David Cameron’s government and scrapped in 2019 after it proved too technically difficult to execute. It received fierce criticism from campaigners who argued that it would have been a minefield of privacy and data protections issues, and that there shouldn’t be a log kept of what porn people have been watching. The new rules provoke the same concerns. Though it is not yet clear exactly how ages will be verified, some ideas listed by the government include “checking a user’s age against details that their mobile provider holds, verifying via a credit card check, and other database checks including government held data such as passport data”. All of these options lead to the question: how can this be done without revealing the user’s identity to either the government or to companies?
These technical and privacy issues are important to highlight, and are more than sufficient reason to abandon the proposal. Even if they could be addressed, there’s another problem. If we’re talking about online safety and trying to address the greatest harms in this industry, we must ask: is the biggest safety issue with porn really teenagers watching it? Even if we wanted to say that this technology could be implemented widely, it’s likely that only a handful of under-18s will be affected – most teenagers will find ways to get around this unsophisticated tech. And while it might prevent a few young children who would have stumbled across porn sites from gaining access, treating age restrictions as porn’s principal problem makes its greater dangers – underage porn, revenge porn, the mistreatment of porn actors and sex workers – fade into the background, while something relatively minor takes disproportionate precedence.
In fact, the legislation could make some of the problems – the way women are portrayed, the dominance of the major platforms – worse. It is likely that the tech required would be expensive and only affordable for the biggest porn companies. What about the smaller outfits that treat porn actors decently and try to make ethical porn that portrays women in a more empowering way than the mainstream offering? What about the independent sex workers making a living online who may not be able to handle these regulations as sole traders? It feels inevitable that the real victims won’t be the exploitative companies that can handle a dip in users, but the places that could actually help to diversify the porn industry and give the teenagers who do find their way there a more varied representation of sex. Similar legislation has been passed in the US and sex workers are the ones bearing the brunt. It has been described as “trickle down censorship” , where companies ban individuals on an ad-hoc basis, applying a “better safe than sorry” policy and removing users who might not have broken any rules “just to be safe”.
Much like the other aspects of the Online Safety Bill, the government is looking for simple solutions to complex problems. Age verification measures may help gain them positive headlines and popularity with over-concerned parents but the new rules would all but guarantee paltry results. Regardless of your moral stance, no problems with porn will be solved by shoddy tech that only addresses one tiny element of an industry riddled with much larger issues that are in more desperate need of attention.
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Chances are, your teenager has already viewed pornography online. Talking to teens about porn might be awkward, but it’s important for their wellbeing to communicate openly with them about it.
In 2016, a study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found that almost half (44 per cent) of the children aged 9–16 surveyed had encountered sexual images online in the last month. Exposure to such images can be:
Interest in sexual content and porn is totally normal. It can allow a young person to:
On the flip side, looking at some types of porn and sexually explicit content can increase the risk of your teen:
The AIFS identified that education is a key strategy for minimising these risks. Having an informed and open conversation with your teen is a powerful way to help them have safe, respectful relationships.
Having difficult conversations with teenagers is all about picking the right moment. Choose a time when your teen is relaxed. A good opportunity might arise when you’re doing something together that doesn’t involve direct eye contact, such as when you’re alone with them in the car or doing the dishes together. This will help ease some of the possible awkwardness on both your parts.
You could start the conversation by mentioning something you and your teen have seen in a TV show, movie, video game or advertisement.
Asking questions that actually use the words ‘porn’ or ‘pornography’ will help you direct the conversation. For example, you could ask:
It becomes easier to talk about sensitive subjects, the more you do it. If either of you is so uncomfortable that the conversation isn’t going anywhere, you could also suggest that you begin the discussion by:
First thing: keep calm. Don’t let your beliefs or emotions get in the way of a meaningful conversation. Your teen will appreciate your understanding, and will learn from how you deal with difficult conversations like this .
It’s important to ask questions without shaming your teen or making accusations. They’ll be more likely to open up to you if they can see that you’re trying to see things from their point of view and are curious rather than confrontational. For example, explain that you’re interested generally in their thoughts about porn and want to know why they look at it and how they feel afterwards.
Here are some things to talk to your teen about, so that when they come across porn and other sexually explicit content, they can assess for themselves whether what they’re seeing is safe and realistic.
It’s illegal to show porn to someone under 18 years old
Under Australian law, it’s an offence to show porn to a minor. Make sure your teen knows that if an adult tries to show them porn, they can tell you or another trusted adult in their life.
It’s also illegal for someone under 18 years old to be featured in sexually explicit material. This includes videos or photos they’ve taken of themselves.
Safe sex is important
Some teenagers aren’t fully aware of the risks of sex, such as pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. Let them know that condoms are a normal, expected part of real-life sex. Some porn might not actually show how to practise safe sex .
Consent is essential
Teach your teen that consent isn’t only encouraged, but is essential . No one has to have sex or do anything they don’t want to. Consent can also be withdrawn at any time.
What they see online shouldn’t be expected in real life
Explain that people in porn videos are actors who are paid to look like they’re enjoying themselves. Some of them are enjoying themselves, and some of them aren’t . Encourage your teenager to communicate with their partner(s) to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the type of sex they’re happy to have.
Everyday bodies don’t look like the bodies in porn
The way porn stars look can be exaggerated through styling. Just like in Hollywood movies, lighting and makeup can make a big difference to how a person looks on screen. Discuss with your teen their expectations about their own and their partner’s body, and explain that no one should be expected to look a certain way .
They don’t have to like porn
It’s normal to like porn; it’s also normal not to like it, or to have mixed feelings about it. Let your teen know that they don’t have to look at anything they don’t want to, and they don’t need to be okay with it. If someone at school tries to show them something that they’re not okay with, make sure they know they can always talk to you or another trusted adult.
It may be tempting to try and block, restrict or monitor your child’s internet usage, but there is no evidence to suggest that this is a positive strategy for teens. Instead, educating them, and letting them make their own decisions, will help build trust and support them to grow.
If you’re concerned about your teenager’s screen use, you could take the opportunity to do a family screen-time audit and set some ground rules that everyone agrees on. Involving your teen in the rule setting gives them some independence and makes them much more likely to follow the rules that are agreed on. Decide together what the consequences will be if the rules are broken.
With so many things that you want to teach your child, it can be tricky to navigate your own protective instincts and anticipate your teen’s reactions. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, here are some things to remember:
Make the conversation an ongoing one, and ensure that your child knows they can come to you at any time with any questions or concerns they might have.
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