Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, has accused those who oppose new online safety laws of “playing politics with child safety” as he backed a crackdown on porn companies.
Ofcom is investigating 34 porn sites run by four companies for failing to introduce new age checks designed to block children.
The rules were introduced last Friday under the Online Safety Act, which has been the subject of a political row over free speech.
The leader of Reform UK has called the Online Safety Act an affront to freedom of speech
REFORM UK/PA
Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party have pledged to repeal the act, which they have characterised as a “dystopian” threat to free speech.
The legislation requires online platforms to take down illegal hate speech and to prevent children from viewing toxic content and pornography.
Kyle has accused Farage of “siding with Jimmy Savile” by opposing the legislation, for which Farage has demanded an apology.
The technology secretary has refused, and appeared to double down on the criticism of Farage when he supported the Ofcom investigation.
Jimmy Saville was a prolific sex offender
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
Kyle said: “I strongly welcome this speedy and decisive action from Ofcom. This enforcement goes to the very heart of what the Online Safety Act is here to do — protecting children from pornographic material.
“No one in their right mind would think it appropriate for a child to walk into a shop and freely buy a top shelf magazine, so why should we allow them to freely wander on to a website offering the same, if not more disturbing, age-inappropriate content.
“These laws have nothing to do with censorship or policing adults seeking to access legal content. Those who suggest otherwise are playing politics with child safety and have no practical alternatives for protecting our children from content they should never see: content that can cause lasting, even fatal, damage.”
Paul Moore, a security consultant, appeared to use a picture of Kyle to pass an age check on X. He shared a screen recording of him using Kyle’s official government photo, and AI-created images of the minister turning left and right, to bypass the facial age estimation.
Senior US Republicans met Kyle and representatives from Ofcom this week to express their concerns about the impact of the act on American companies.
Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, has called the act “the UK online censorship law”.
He highlighted in particular Ofcom’s reach over the US platforms, Reddit and Rumble. “Why is a UK regulator harassing companies about a UK censorship law that is supposed to apply only to the UK?” he posted on X.
A US law firm says it has been instructed by “multiple American websites” to bring a lawsuit against Ofcom over free speech concerns.
Preston Byrne, the managing partner at Byrne & Storm, told Politico: “We will also be seeking a declaratory judgment from a federal court that confirms, in writing, the indisputably correct legal position that the Online Safety Act is null and void in the United States. With any luck, this should clear up the question for the hundreds of thousands of American companies that Ofcom hasn’t targeted yet, but planned to target until our clients bravely stood in their way.”
Ofcom announced on Thursday it was investigating four companies, which manage 34 porn websites: 8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment S.A. and Trendio Ltd.
The regulator has the power to fine the companies not in compliance £18 million or 10 per cent of global turnover, block the services in the UK or take criminal action against senior executives.
Since the new rules came into force there have been at least three million downloads of virtual private network software that can be used to evade age checks in the UK.
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