Britons may have to upload a selfie to prove they are old enough to view pornography under plans to stop children accessing adult websites

Britons may have to upload a selfie to prove they are old enough to view pornography online.

Adult websites could be required to use facial scanning technology to confirm that anyone using their site is of legal age under plans aimed at stopping children viewing pornography.

The technology uses artificial intelligence to guess a person’s age by comparing their photo to a database of thousands of other photos, and can deny access to some users over 18 under the “challenge 25” system.

Unlike other age verification methods, it does not require users to upload any personal data other than selfies, avoiding any concerns about how the data may be stored and used once it is uploaded.

Ofcom guidance was published yesterday explaining how it expects adult sites to protect young people from sexually explicit content under the Online Safety Act.

Britons may have to upload a selfie to prove they are old enough to view pornography online (Stock photo)

Porn sites will have to ensure that users are over 18 by checking their ID, asking a bank or mobile phone provider to vouch for them, or using technology that can estimate their age from images (Stock photo)

On average, children are only 13 years old when they first encounter hardcore porn on the Internet. The watchdog said it would not accept “weaker” age verifications, such as allowing users to self-report their age or simply adding disclaimers or warnings to sexually explicit material.

The poll found a majority of Britons support tougher measures, but half said they were concerned about sharing their personal and sensitive information.

Ofcom said all age assurance practices are subject to UK privacy legislation and are monitored by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Hardcore porn can be easily accessed at the click of a button. Research shows that violent images lead teenagers to believe that choking and slapping are a normal part of sex.

By 2025, adult sites and apps will be required to maintain written records explaining how they protect children from accessing pornography, or face hefty fines of up to 10 percent of their global turnover.

The regulator said it expected porn sites to “work with us” and listed potential “age guarantee” measures that it believed would be “very effective”.

Other methods of age verification would include users asking their bank or mobile phone provider to confirm they are of age, and providing the website with their passport or driver’s license.

Watchdog Ofcom today set out recommendations on how it expects adult sites to protect young people from sexually explicit content under the Online Safety Act (stock photo)

Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, said: “Pornography is too easily accessible to children online and new online safety laws are clear and need to change. Our practical guide outlines a range of highly effective age verification methods.

“We are clear that weaker methods, such as allowing users to self-report their age, will not meet this standard.

“Regardless of their approach, we expect all services to provide strong protection for children from pornography, and to ensure that the privacy rights and freedoms of adults when accessing legal content are protected.”

Ofcom research last year found that 87 per cent of women and 77 per cent of men overall supported age guarantees on online pornography sites as a means of protecting children.

But among adults who have previously watched online porn, the biggest concerns about verifying their age to access content are related to data protection (52 percent) and disclosure of personal information (42 percent).

However, a report from the Institute of Economics argues that age verification when viewing pornography threatens users’ privacy.

He warned: “Internet regulation that targets adult content risks undermining the internet’s founding principles of freedom of speech, privacy and innovation.”

“Over-regulation risks pushing users into less controlled and safe environments.

“A more collaborative approach involving governments, industry, civil society and technical experts is needed to curb illegal activity and protect Internet freedom.”