Responding to Ofcom’s announcement that it has launched investigations into four companies operating 34 pornography websites, to assess their compliance with new age-check requirements under the UK’s Online Safety Act, Emma Pickering, Head of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment at Refuge, said:
“Refuge welcomes Ofcom’s investigations into pornographic websites that may be failing age-check requirements under the Online Safety Act. Children’s exposure to online pornography is not only harmful in itself, but also plays a role in shaping damaging attitudes towards women and girls – contributing to a wider culture of misogyny and violence.
“We know that online content, including pornography, can normalise abusive behaviours and distort how young people understand sex and relationships. Strangulation, for example, is frequently depicted in pornography and tragically reflects the lived experiences of many survivors Refuge supports. This is not just an online issue – it has real-world consequences for women’s safety.
“Simply introducing age-verification mechanisms is not enough. These measures must be robustly enforced, and loopholes that allow users to circumvent checks must be swiftly identified and effectively closed. Tech companies must be held fully accountable if they fail to comply.
“We urge Ofcom to ensure that the full range of enforcement powers under the Online Safety Act are used where necessary to drive real accountability.
“The safety and wellbeing of children and young people must come first. Refuge will continue to demand a digital world that protects rather than harms – and for a society that actively challenges the root causes of gender-based violence.”
