The children's commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has called for the implementation of age verification on virtual private networks (VPNs) to prevent children from accessing pornography. VPNs allow users to mask their location, bypassing regulations of the Online Safety Act. A new report reveals that more children are encountering pornography online, with many first seeing it at a young age. The widespread use of VPNs has raised concerns, especially as they were among the most downloaded apps following age verification efforts on some adult sites.
Dame Rachel de Souza emphasized the need for age verification on VPNs, stating, "Of course, we need age verification on VPNs - it's absolutely a loophole that needs closing and that's one of my major recommendations."
The report found that more children are accidentally encountering pornography, with some surveyed 16 to 21-year-olds revealing they first viewed it "aged six or younger."
The children's commissioner reported a rise in the number of children seeing pornography online, indicating a growing concern about its accessibility.
Last month, VPNs topped the download charts on the Apple App Store in the UK after platforms such as PornHub began requiring age verification.
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