Not who you’re responding to but techlinked called out that it’s illegal as well and showed the legislation text in their video. But if you’re not implementing the ID check in the first place then mentioning vpns doesn’t matter at all. I can’t even get your link to load.
According to Ofcom, platforms must not host, share or permit content encouraging use of VPNs to get around age checks.
The government told the BBC under the Online Safety Act, it will be illegal for platforms to do this.
Ofcom is the regulator so I’m guessing they read the law a little more closely than you.
In addition, service providers should not publish content on their service that directs or encourages UK users to circumvent the age assurance process or the access controls, for example by providing information about or links to a virtual private network (VPN) which may be used by children to circumvent the relevant processes.
Ofcom is the designated regulator and has the power of enforcement. The law doesn’t define what it set out what age verification means, only that they much be ‘highly effective’ (Section 12 (6)). It is therefore left to Ofcom to set out in its Code of Practices (Section 41 (3)) what ‘highly effective age verification’ means, which is what this guidance is. This isn’t Ofcom being nice, this is them telling you how they’re going to enforce the law.
rikudou@lemmings.world 2 days ago
Source? Cause mine (www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 aka the fucking law) doesn’t say anything like that.
tyler@programming.dev 2 days ago
Not who you’re responding to but techlinked called out that it’s illegal as well and showed the legislation text in their video. But if you’re not implementing the ID check in the first place then mentioning vpns doesn’t matter at all. I can’t even get your link to load.
rikudou@lemmings.world 2 days ago
I don’t believe guidelines are above the actual law.
tyler@programming.dev 2 days ago
www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k81lj8nvpo
Ofcom is the regulator so I’m guessing they read the law a little more closely than you.
flamingos@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Section 4.37 of Ofcom’s Guidance on Highly Effective Age Assurance for Part 3 Services:
rikudou@lemmings.world 2 days ago
That’s guidance, not law.
flamingos@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Ofcom is the designated regulator and has the power of enforcement. The law doesn’t define what it set out what age verification means, only that they much be ‘highly effective’ (Section 12 (6)). It is therefore left to Ofcom to set out in its Code of Practices (Section 41 (3)) what ‘highly effective age verification’ means, which is what this guidance is. This isn’t Ofcom being nice, this is them telling you how they’re going to enforce the law.
then_three_more@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Should, not must. Like the highway code should rules and must rules.
artyom@piefed.social 2 days ago
rikudou@lemmings.world 2 days ago
Well, nope.