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Pornhub to Restrict UK Access Amid Online Safety Act Concerns
Pornhub announced it will restrict access to its website for users in the United Kingdom starting next week, February 2, citing concerns over the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) and its age verification requirements. Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, stated that the OSA "had not achieved its goal of protecting minors" and had instead "diverted traffic to darker, unregulated corners of the internet," according to a statement released by the company.
The move comes after the implementation of stricter age checks for explicit sites in the UK. In October, Aylo reported a 77% decrease in traffic from the UK following the law change. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, stated at the time that the tougher age checks were fulfilling their intended purpose. Under the new restrictions, only individuals who have previously created a Pornhub account will be able to access the site's content in the UK.
In other news, TikTok US denied claims that it is censoring content on its platform. The denial followed reports from users experiencing glitches and alleging heavy control over what they could post after TikTok US became a separate American entity last week. A TikTok US spokesperson told the BBC that the issues stemmed from technical problems related to the ongoing separation, stating, "We've made significant progress in recovering our US infrastructure with our US data center partner. However, the US user experience may still have some technical issues, including when posting new content."
Meanwhile, EasyJet was warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a "misleading" claim regarding cabin bag fees. The ASA challenged EasyJet's claim that carry-on baggage fees were available "from 5.99," after the airline failed to provide evidence that customers could purchase a carry-on bag for that price. The consumer group Which? initially flagged the claim to the ASA, noting that airlines often advertise low fares but add additional fees. EasyJet responded by stating, "We always aim to provide clear information to our customers on pricing and the purpose."
In Hungary, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony was charged by prosecutors for his role in organizing last year's gay pride march in the capital city, which attracted hundreds of thousands of people despite a ban. Prosecutors are seeking a fine against Karacsony, alleging he organized and led a public gathering despite a police ban, according to a statement from their office.
Finally, Sky News released a podcast titled "Regime crackdown: Life inside Iran." The podcast, part of "The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim," explores the situation in Iran following a recent wave of protests.
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