UK Porn Look To Introduce ID Checks For Users

British porn consumers may soon find themselves having to turn out their pockets for reams of their own private and personal information should they wish to continue watching.

The proposal comes as a result of negotiation between representatives of the UK’s porn industry and the recently re-elected Conservative government, who made the introduction of such a law a key pledge during their electoral campaign.

The changes floated thus far would see users having to confirm their identities with any of a wide-range of accepted outlets, including banks, other credit facilities, the UK’s Revenue & Customs public sector department and even the National Health Service.

The Conservatives’ pledged plans have a lot of support in the UK, but critics fear it will simply be another bumpy ride into total censorship, fearing stringent monitoring on the scale of China and their internet services.

Myles Jackman – Britain’s leading and most recognizable obscenity lawyer – told the Guardian that “this is cutting-edge censorship. We are now becoming the world leaders in censorship. And we are being watched very closely from abroad.”

The proposals include allowing a regulator/watchdog – most likely ATVOD, responsible for policing last year’s changes – to monitor websites, work with ISPs and block content that doesn’t adhere to the law.

The effects on the UK industry are hard to predict. Users will rightly be concerned that their information will be permanently linked with specific types of pornography and in the event of a breach or leak, may find themselves indelibly marked by stigmas from all corners. The recent Adult Friend Finder hack caused panic among people who keep their sexual preferences and lifestyles private.

Although the eagerness of the British government in this matter may hit the buffers soon enough. Reports stemming from the weekend claim that the European Union may deem the blocking of ISPs hosting legal content on phones and other platforms to be illegal under debated proposals of their own.

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