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Frustrated Brits are getting jerked around by the ham-handed rollout of the UK's new porn blocks, which would ban anyone from watching porn until they verify that they're an adult.
The new rules mandate that adults prove their age via an over-the-counter card they can purchase from a shop, or uploading their ID online.
Digital Minister Margot James said last year that the age verification rules would be in force by Easter of this year.
"Age verification measures, urgently needed to help prevent children being exposed to harmful and inappropriate content, need to be brought in as soon as possible," said Javed Kahn - CEO of Barnardo's children's charity.
"Accessing the internet in an age-appropriate way is important for children and young people, and can be a positive opportunity to learn, keep in touch with friends and have fun. But the risks of being exposed to age-sensitive and harmful content such as pornography needs to be acknowledged and addressed."
A representative for the UK's Safer Internet Centre explained that the complexity of the rollout is unsurprising.
"What they are actually proposing to do is quite a bit more difficult and a lot less simple than it has been reported as," said the organization's helpline manager, Carmel Glassbrook, who added "Nobody at the Safer Internet Centre is expecting it be a smooth and fast process at all."
Privacy rights advocates are livid
"They've had over a year to get this right," said Myles Jackman, a UK lawyer who specialises in obscenity law and sexual freedoms. "It was supposed to come into effect in April 2018 and we have consistently flagged privacy and data security issues along with free speech concerns."
"The delays have been very much to do with the fact that privacy has been considered at the last minute and they're having to try to find some way to make these services a bit safer," said Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group.
"We should know all of the details of what they are proposing."
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