Blocking porn sites for minors starts on 12 November: doubts and new rules
For Codacons, it is a 'good measure', which, however, has some critical points. Among them is the possibility of circumventing it with a Vpn
by Lorenzo Pace
Key points
Just a few hours and the mandatory age verification on porn sites will be active. The resolution of the Communications Guarantee Authority (AgCom) will start on 12 November and will force 48 online portals (here the article with the list) to make sure that users are over 18.
How it will do
Until now, it was enough to confirm with a click that you were of age. Anyone, therefore, could do so. With AgCom's intervention, however, an age verification system is planned with the model of 'double anonymity'. Thus, certified independent third parties - such as digital identity portals - will be used to provide proof of age. In this way, the site will receive no information about the user and the verifier will not know where the user is accessing.
Codacons' doubts
'A fair measure' according to Codacons, the consumer association. Which, however, 'represents a drop in the ocean and will not, unfortunately, stop the dissemination of pornographic material among young people, a phenomenon that, according to a recent CNR survey, involves 88% of Italian male adolescents and 40% of females'.
The use of Vpn
Codacons emphasises 'the ban applies to minors accessing such platforms from Italy, but such blocks are not in place abroad. This means that by means of a Vpn (Virtual Private Network) it is possible to connect to a remote server that assigns an Ip address from another country and easily circumvent the Italian block. Finally, it should be considered that blocking 48 portals on an endless pool of existing porn sites will certainly not prevent minors from enjoying such material'.
The resolution in the context of the Caivano Decree
The intervention is part of the Caivano Decree, which in paragraph 1 introduced for minors 'a ban on access to content of a pornographic nature, in view of its capacity to harm their dignity and physical and mental well-being, constituting a public health problem'.
