The horror of buying porn from a local newsagent may be about to return in the digital age. Under developing UK government plans, Brits could be required to buy an age verification pass in order to access online smut.
The physical “porn pass” would provide web users with a 16-digit access code, which could be inputted into pornography websites in order to progress past tighter age restriction screens.
In order to obtain the £10 pass, folks would have to show a valid drivers license or passport to prove they’re 18 or over, in much the same way they’d buy alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets.
It’s one of many proposals to regulate access to adult content as the controversial Digital Economy Act 2017 progresses towards law, the Telegraph reports.
The Act was due to go into effect in April this year, but the implementation has been delayed in order for the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to create its own guidelines.
Related: Porn by email could by-pass age restrictions
Once the legislation comes into effect websites will face gigantic fines of up to £250,000 if they don’t adopt the robust age verification tools.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport says it is “implementing some of the strictest data protection laws in the world” in order to protect children from viewing non-age appropriate content online.
However, it’s kind of obvious that a physical porn pass, would immediately become valuable contraband to be traded among the under-18s.
In many ways it’d be a return to the time-honoured, pre-internet tradition of the good-will exchange of pornography between horny youths.
Would you be willing to buy a porn pass from Doris in your local newsagents? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.