It is notoriously difficult to manage pornographic content published on the world wide web and restrict viewing powers to over-18s only.
Governments are working closely with digital identity service providers not only for their own login verification systems, but to ensure all firms use accredited and certified identity technology.
The responsibility remains on companies to use validated technology to prevent underage users from seeing pornography, however the french government is also introducing the first ‘digital certificates’ to identify the age of users themselves.
France’s Digital Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot made comments at the weekend, preempting the upcoming launch of a mobile application which can prove that users are over 18 years old, set to be implemented “from September.”
Barrot said that unacceptable oversights in terms of security and liberties allowed for some companies would be tackled in 2023.
Websites that do not employ viewing constraints for some users would be barred from France.
On average, children as young as 11 years old can have an interest in watching porn but companies are obliged in accordance with the law to implement access restrictions and limit children discovering limitless pornographic content from a simple action such as visiting a homepage.
The age verification app will send out a request for users to verify their identity when they show engagement with a pornographic site.
Companies such as YouPorn, PornHub and RedTube have so far declined to comment on the proposal.
On the back of the launch of the Children Online Protection Laboratory, France’s government is productive in uniting online safety efforts between providers, government, firms and researchers.
”France will become the first country in the world to offer a solution like this,” he said.
