The Online Security Act, which came into effect at the end of July this year, requires websites with explicit content to establish one of several possible methods to ascertain a visitor’s age, such as checking someone’s banking information or a facial recognition scan. It is one of several age-verification laws implemented globally over the past few years. Adult site Pornhub complies with UK law – but some “SFW” sites have also introduced age-verification, such as YouTube.
Pornhub asks tech platforms to enable device-level age verification
Now, Substack has become the latest to require more data from its users. On October 20, Substack published a blog post regarding its position on the Online Security Act, stating that it “cautions against such regulatory measures.”
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“While often well-intentioned, these laws are not necessarily effective in achieving their stated goals, and they come with real costs to free expression,” the post said. “They create friction, forcing people to take an identification step before reading on the Internet.”
Despite this, “we respect the right of countries to set their own laws, and we follow local regulations where necessary,” the post said.
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It outlines the steps being taken to comply, including that if the content is labeled under a category covered by the law, anyone viewing it in a browser or on the Substack app may see a notice asking them to complete age verification before viewing it. Substack warned that paid customers are verified because of their banking information, and other customers may already be verified through other platforms. (This blog also mentions Australia’s upcoming age-verification law, but not until a later post.)
According to Substack’s help center, the list of restricted content for adults includes:
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sexually explicit or pornographic material
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Content that encourages self-harm behaviors (i.e. eating disorders and suicide)
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to bully or harass
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Hate targeting people based on protected characteristics (such as race and sexual orientation)
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Violent or graphic content
The platform updated a Help Center page titled, “Why is Substack asking to verify my age?” On Tuesday. Substack reported that a publication’s chats, DMs, comments, and notes can be blurred or blocked if they fit the Online Security Act’s definition of “potentially harmful content.”
It also provides instructions on how to complete the facial scan. It also recommends carrying a government ID “in case the selfie verification fails.”
Substack said it would retain the age estimate following the verification process.
If the content is suspicious and you don’t think it falls under the Online Protection Act, you can request a manual review.
Over the past few years, many users left Substack due to the platform hosting alt-right and neo-Nazi content. Those posts will now be blurred for non-verified users in the UK.
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