Late last week, the UK government introduced a fresh set of regulations under the Online Safety Act to shield children from accessing “harmful and age-inappropriate content.” Various entities such as pornography websites, social media platforms, and major search engines are required to implement measures to block children from reaching content related to pornography, self-harm, or eating disorders. These measures encompass age verification processes and adjustments to algorithm configurations to avoid suggesting harmful content to minors. While many advocates for children’s safety view this as a positive move, there are apprehensions regarding potential impacts on civil liberties, privacy, and censorship.
Samantha Cole, a journalist at 404 Media, has been examining the implications of similar online safety regulations in the United States. She previously hosted CBC Understood’s series, “The Pornhub Empire,” which delved into the operations of the largest pornographic website globally. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: [link].