Research indicates that exposure to pornography among young people has risen since the Online Safety Act was introduced. A survey revealed that 27% of children had viewed porn online by age 11, with some as young as six reporting early exposure. Despite the implementation of protections by Ofcom, concerns remain regarding the accessibility of violent pornography through social media. The average age for first exposure remains 13, while more vulnerable children encounter it even earlier. The need for robust measures to safeguard children's online safety is emphasized.
More than a quarter (27%) now said they had seen porn online by 11, with some saying they were aged six or younger when asked about their first exposure.
Dame Rachel de Souza said a survey found that more young people said they had been exposed to pornography before the age of 18 than in 2023, when the Online Safety Act became law.
Violent pornography is easily accessible to children, exposure is often accidental and often via the most common social media sites, and it is impacting children's behaviours and beliefs in deeply concerning ways.
The rules introduced by Ofcom have introduced significant changes to make it tougher for under-18-year-olds to access porn websites.
Collection
[
|
...
]