Tory peer says Government must shield kids from porn through age checks online
KIDS must be shielded from seeing porn online with stronger laws, Rishi Sunak is being warned.
The PM is facing a fresh push to toughen the Online Safety Bill so websites are forced to introduce more robust age checks.
The PM has already caved to a Commons rebellion from Tories demanding social media bosses face jail for failing to remove horrific content.
Now he risks a further clash in the Lords as Tory peer Jim Bethell has joined with children’s charities including Barnardo’s and the NSPCC to change it again.
The ex-health minister said age safeguards in the current Bill were “vague, extremely confusing, and there are a lot of loopholes”.
A series of amendments will propose that all porn websites and social media sites must implement betting-style age verification systems within six months of it becoming law.
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It will also demand that the legal definition of porn is consistent online with video and telly services.
Lord Bethell told the Sun last night that it was “completely nuts” that porn providers have been so under-regulated.
He said: “Many young people have seen nasty pornography that reinforces problems we have in our society.”
Research has shown that 51 per cent of 11 to-13-year-olds have seen porn at some point.
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The Tory peer has had discussions with Ministers and is hopeful of getting the Government to accept his proposals.
He added: “If we don't bring in this amendment, then I have no confidence that in five years time, there won't be the same levels of horrid disgusting porn still freely available for our children to consume.”
Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: “Children should be able to learn and have fun online without being exposed to extreme pornography which harms their mental health, distorts their understanding of healthy relationships and normalises sexual abuse.
“The Bill needs to be strengthened to include effective age verification of pornographic content.
“Online and offline standards also need to be aligned so that content which is illegal to sell in a shop cannot be viewed online.”
A Government spokesman said: “Our Bill will force any site that offers pornography to stop children accessing it or face huge fines.
“It will require platforms to prevent underage people viewing such harmful content through the use of measures such as age verification."