Age verification laws in the U.K. are tanking traffic for sites that comply, and boosting the ones that don’t.
New online age verification laws in the U.K. are having some unintended consequences. The rules, which require users to upload photo IDs or selfies to access certain websites, seem to be backfiring in some cases.
A new analysis by The found that porn sites that are complying with the rules are losing traffic, while those ignoring the law are being rewarded with a boost in visitors.
The analysis comes just a month after the U.K. began enforcing the Online Safety Act, which puts new legal pressure on platforms, including search engines and social media sites, to shield users from harmful content. Lawmakers pitched it as a way to keep children away from porn and other “harmful” material tied to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders.
But the data suggests the opposite might be happening. Porn sites that skipped the new ID checks have seen their audiences grow, while the ones that followed the rules are losing users. Some of these sites have tripled their audiences in August compared to last year, according to the Post.
