Porn Law a threat to online privacy and security, says IEA economist
8 February 2022
SUGGESTED
In the Media
Julian Jessop comments for The Guardian
7 February 2022
Press Release
Housing and Planning
Responding to reports that the Online Safety Bill will require all adult websites to ask users for age verification, Matthew Lesh, Head of Public Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
“The Porn Laws will mean the British public being blocked from accessing adult material — and then being required to enter a drivers’ licence, passport, or buy a state-approved porn pass from a shop.
“This is a clear threat to our privacy and security. It is a gift to hackers, blackmailers, and hostile governments to create a named repository of people who visit adult websites.
“The Porn Laws were abandoned by Boris Johnson just a few years ago after the Cameron and May governments struggled to put the law into action. Now they are back to infringe on the privacy of the British public. It’s time to kill the idea completely, not weigh down the proposals within the framework of the Online Safety Bill.”
“The Porn Laws were abandoned by Boris Johnson just a few years ago after the Cameron and May governments struggled to put the law into action. Now they are back to infringe on the privacy of the British public. It’s time to kill the idea completely, not weigh down the proposals within the framework of the Online Safety Bill.”
ENDS
Notes editors
Contact: Annabel Denham, Director of Communications, 07540 770 774
IEA spokespeople are available for interview and further comment.
SHARE
