Influencers hired to promote new porn age-verification laws

[dutchman]

Reality stars and YouTubers have posted Ofcom-sponsored videos in support of Online Safety Act



Celebrities, including Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley, are being paid by Ofcom to promote its new pornography age-checking rules.

The digital regulator has paid influencers, including Ms Bentley, to post on social media in support of age checks on pornography, which have been introduced under the Online Safety Act.

A sponsored post seen by hundreds of thousands of people shows Ms Bentley telling followers that current tools to prevent children accessing online porn “just aren’t cutting it”.

It comes as Ofcom battles a backlash against the Online Safety Act from tech companies and US officials. A Parliamentary petition to repeal the law was signed by more than 450,000 people. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and US politicians have labelled the rules an attack on free expression.

In the promotion posted by Ms Bentley, who has 617,000 Instagram followers, she says: “This is not to ruin anyone’s fun but it’s about time that children are protected online.”

The clip starts with Ms Bentley entering her home and – apparently – removing her top just out of view of the camera. She then takes a can of beer from a fridge labelled “pornography”, before addressing the camera, fully clothed: “Now I’ve got your attention.”

The influencer compares the checks to “when you have to go to the pub and show your ID” and adds: “It’s almost as if the internet is finally growing up.”

According to transparency data published by Meta, which owns Instagram, the ad was mainly targeted at 20 to 35-year-olds and paid for by Ofcom, which is in charge of enforcing the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom has also paid for adverts from Adam Beales, a YouTuber with 4.6 million subscribers. They ran last week ahead of new age checks coming into force on July 25.

The Telegraph has asked Ofcom how much it has paid the influencers. The regulator is funded by fees from the companies it regulates, rather than by the taxpayer.

New rules require websites that allow pornography or other explicit posts to block children from seeing them. The changes have prompted new age verification checks across both pornography sites and social media, including X and Reddit.

Some internet users have bristled at the checks, which require them to undertake a face-scanning age-estimation test or upload government ID to access pornography.

They can also block internet users from seeing other posts deemed harmful to children if they refuse to confirm their age. This can include extremely violent content or hate speech, but in some cases, innocuous content has been put behind an age gate, such as a Reddit forum dedicated to beer.

Ofcom’s ads represent an effort to win over young social media users. However, on Ms Bentley’s post, one follower responded: “It’s a well intentioned but horribly implemented law.”

Critics have also argued that the checks can be easily bypassed by VPN apps, which allow internet users to hide their identity and location.

On Thursday, Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, accused opponents of the laws of “playing politics with child safety” and said there were “no practical alternatives” to age verification when it came to stopping children seeing explicit online posts.

An Ofcom spokesman said: “Helping people understand new online safety protections is an important part of our job as the communications watchdog.

“Like many public bodies, we work with online ambassadors to reach millions of children and adults who connect with them – in our case, explaining changes that are happening and how to stay safe.”