The Solution

The Solution

We have outlined why placing the responsibility for age verification solely on pornographic websites is destined to fail  for reasons detailed in our Legislation Failures section.

What is most surprising is that effective, proven, technical solutions already exist!

Both the technology and the legal framework to enforce these solutions are straightforward.

There are two clear, practical approaches that can immediately prevent children from accessing online pornography

The solution

Controlling Access to Adult Websites

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

All internet traffic in every country, is delivered to end users through Internet Service Providers (ISPs), for cellular traffic the ISP is the Mobile Network Operator (MNO).

Because ISPs must hold a government license to operate, they are already tightly regulated, making them the most practical partners for implementing new child protection measures.

Many ISPs already provide optional content filters that can block access to pornography. These systems are proven and widely used, meaning the infrastructure to enforce restricted access to adult content already exists it simply needs to be mandated and standardised through legislation.

Some countries already legally require their ISPs to block all adult content by default. Extending this approach to include age verification for adults, rather than outright blocking, is a simple adjustment for any nation that permits access to pornography for those over 18.

Crucially, enforcement is far more practical. It is significantly easier for regulators to take action against a licensed ISP which already operates under government oversight than to pursue a pornographic website based overseas in jurisdictions such as Russia.

In markets like the UK, there are only around 220 ISPs nationwide, with the top four controlling over 80% of all internet traffic.  In America, the top 5 ISPs deliver around 70%. Implementing and enforcing a universal system through these providers is both feasible and cost-effective.

The existing technology that ISPs use to identify pornography sites include:

  • Domain Name System (DNS) filtering – (blocks blacklisted Domains)
  • IP Address Blocking – (blocks specific IP addresses associated with adult content)
  • Web Filtering and Black Lists – (ISPs maintain blacklists of website URLs categorized as adult, explicit, or otherwise inappropriate. Filters compare website requests against these lists; if there’s a match, the content is blocked)
  • Pop Up Page – (when a user connects to a URL (website) that is designated as adult content, the ISPs already have the ability to generate a “pop up page”.  At the moment these pages are predominately used to advise the user that the website they are trying to reach is blocked, but the pop up can just as easily deliver a page to enable the user to go through an Age Verification process)

Anonymous Age Verification Through Tokenisation

Current online child protection laws in countries that have legislated in this area pass the obligation to undertake the Age Verification process to the actual Porn Companies.  Many Porn Companies will use third party Age Verification providers but they are also able to run the Age Verification process themselves, or setup another Age Verification business that they own.

This approach creates serious and avoidable privacy risks, with the potential to force users to hand sensitive personal data to the very industry that is being regulated. Without independent, standardised systems, these laws not only fail to protect children (as small agile porn sites will ignore the law) but also undermine public trust by exposing adults to potential data misuse and breaches.

A much simpler, safer and effective process can easily be implemented which also has the significant benefit of being anonymous.

Anonymous age verification using tokenisation is an emerging privacy preserving technique that allows users to prove they are above a certain age threshold without the need to store their details and does not run the risk of revealing any information to the porn companies or an associated third party.

How Tokenised Age Verification Works:

Steps

1.

Initial Age Check

The user verifies their age with a trusted identity or age verification provider (using methods such as digital ID, document scan, or biometric estimation).

2.

Issuance of an Age Token

On successfully passing the age check, the user receives a cryptographically generated “age token”. The token certifies that they are over 18 but contains no other personal data. No name, date of birth, or address, thereby preserving anonymity.

3.

Presenting Tokens Online

When accessing age restricted services, the ISP checks for the token on the device (phone, computer etc)

4.

Each device requires a separate token, preventing token sharing.

5.

ISP Checks Token

ISP checks token is approved through a central register and allows access.

6.

Token Expiry

The token can expire every X months (3 is suggested) requiring the verification process to be undertaken again.  This catches situations where devices that may have been used by an adult are passed to children.  In most cases however, the devices would have first been reset.

The Need for a Global Solution

One of our core objectives is to identify and support a trusted Non Government Organisation (NGO) to develop a fully integrated, “out of the box” age verification system.

This solution would be designed to meet international standards, allowing governments worldwide to adopt and implement a ready-made framework for protecting children online. By providing a consistent, scalable model, countries can avoid reinventing the wheel and instead deploy a system that is proven, privacy respecting, and effective across borders.