This would give ministers sweeping powers to impose restrictions on the internet without passing new laws. The powers can be used to restrict access to websites, social media platforms, apps and games of their choice. Ministers will not have to demonstrate the harm they cause to children, effectively criticizing the work done by Ofcom to assess services according to the risks and harms.
This means that current or future governments can restrict content they ideologically oppose. For example, a reform government could mandate ID checks to access LGBQT content in schools as part of its manifesto commitment to “end trans ideology”.
Ministers will also have powers to impose digital curfews and limit time spent on certain platforms – for example preventing under-18s from playing games like Minecraft, Fifa and Fortnite after a certain time.
MPs also rejected a Lords amendment to restrict access to VPNs, but gave ministers the power to introduce such a measure.
James Baker, Platform Power Program Manager at Open Rights Group, said:
“This sweeping amendment takes power away from Parliament and Ofcom and hands it to ministers. Any future government will be able to ban children not only from social media but any other website or online services of their choice.
“This will result in every adult having to provide their personal data, or use their body and biometric features as keys to unlock the internet”.
“These proposals fail to address the structural problems that cause harm online, such as surveillance-driven advertising models and the dominance of a small number of Big Tech platforms.”
Age assurance industry is not regulated
The new amendment is a blow to the privacy of adult internet users, who may be forced to undergo ID checks to gain full access to the internet and use privacy tools such as VPNs. This new amendment will mean that most adults in the UK will be forced to undergo ID checks and hand over personal and sensitive data to third-party age verification providers. But this ever-expanding industry is unregulated.
Open Rights Group has written The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall MP, called for regulation of age assurance providers operating under the Online Protection Act. The letter was also signed by the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) and more than 600 members of the public.
ORG is calling on the Government, the ICO and Ofcom to set mandatory privacy and security standards for age verification providers to ensure that users’ sensitive data is protected.
Security and privacy experts call for a ban on age assurance
Over 400 security and privacy academics have called for a moratorium on the deployment of age assurance for all online harm prevention purposes “until there is scientific consensus on the benefits and harms of age-assurance technologies and the technical feasibility of such deployment”. Read his letter here.
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