The ongoing concern regarding children’s access to inappropriate content online has become a pressing issue, with calls for stronger regulations. Recently, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has advocated for a crackdown on the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that minors use to bypass age checks on pornographic websites. During an appearance on BBC Newsnight, Dame Rachel emphasized that this method has exposed a significant loophole that requires immediate attention. Her recommendation includes implementing robust age verification measures for VPN users to safeguard young individuals from viewing explicit material.
VPNs work by masking a user’s actual location, permitting access to the internet as if the individual were situated in a different region. This capability allows children to easily navigate around the restrictions established by the Online Safety Act, which mandates age checks for platforms hosting specific adult content. Despite this alarming trend, a government spokesperson has clarified that while VPNs serve essential purposes for adults and cannot be banned outright, their use poses serious challenges in safeguarding children.
In light of recent findings in a report released by the Children’s Commissioner’s office, which revealed an increasing number of minors exposed to online pornography, Dame Rachel’s comments hold even more weight. Over the past two years, there has been a marked rise in the percentage of minors reporting that they have encountered pornographic content online. This surge correlates with the increasing prevalence of VPN applications in app stores; in fact, last month, VPNs became the most downloaded apps in the UK as age verification measures began to be enforced on sites like PornHub, Reddit, and others.
This newly released report also highlights an alarming trend in which many young individuals inadvertently stumble upon pornographic content. Among the surveyed group of 16 to 21-year-olds, several respondents admitted to having viewed explicit content as young as six years old. The data gathered pointed to the need for an urgent reassessment of how online platforms, algorithms, and recommendation systems function, given that the exposure to harmful material can have significant implications on a child’s development and societal views.
Beyond the call for VPN regulations, Dame Rachel has requested the government to contemplate a complete prohibition of certain types of pornography, particularly content involving themes of strangulation, which more than half of the surveyed respondents reported seeing during childhood. Shockingly, 44% of the young people surveyed also indicated that they had encountered depictions of rape involving incapacitated individuals. These disturbing statistics demand immediate action and highlight the necessity for stringent checks and reforms to prevent further exposure.
In response to these findings, Liz Truss’s administration has announced that the Online Safety Act is an endeavour aimed at constructing a safer digital environment for children. A spokesperson emphasized that steps are being taken to mitigate the current lawless experience online, addressing long-standing concerns regarding children’s exposure to harmful content without parental or legal oversight.
Personal testimonies further underscore the gravity of this situation. A young man named Josh Lane, who fell into addiction at the young age of 12 after stumbling upon porn through a Google search, reflects on how this struggle led to isolation and feelings of guilt and shame. Now in his twenties, he continues to grapple with the long-lasting effects of that early exposure, emphasizing the devastating impact such content can have on children’s lives.
Kerry Smith, CEO of the Internet Watch Foundation, reinforced the idea that exposure to violent and extreme sexual imagery brings about normalization of unhealthy sexual behaviors and is increasingly linked to incidents of violence against women and girls. She urged that stronger safeguards must be enforced on adult sites to prevent children’s access to such explicit materials.
In conclusion, the discussion surrounding the regulation of VPNs and the broader implications of online safety for children remains a vital topic. As Dame Rachel de Souza continues to advocate for meaningful changes, both the government and society must collectively embrace the responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. The findings outlined in the report serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform, ensuring that children’s safety online is not an option but a priority.
