In July this year, under the Digital Economy Act 2017, the UK government will implement an age verification page on all sites containing adult content. There have been various opinions on this new initiative but how can it be a negative thing? Do we really want children seeing porn online?
There are currently several resources to block adult content and keep children safe online. Some are free and some are subscription sites. So surely this new initiative will save us money too. In addition to protecting children it will help thousands of people who are recovering from porn addiction as adults. The argument frequently used when discussing current Internet blockers, is that we can always turn it off or buy a new phone or laptop - this is true and we can find ways to access any content. But the time it takes to type a password or find a new device buys us valuable thinking time.
If you are a recovering addict and use one these blockers currently, make sure your password is relevant to your recovery - for example: typing the words "Il0vemywi£e" or "H0wmanyd@ys" might just be enough to help you stop and think whether you want to continue.
The proposed landing page on the new initiative, will ask for proof of age which might include your credit card details. This alone will stop many addicts from continuing. Often, the addict is operating in secret and so potentially identifying themselves online may be enough to prevent relapse.
To balance the argument, here is an alternative view and more detail about the implementation of the plan.