Pornhub to Restrict UK Access Over Age Verification Concerns
Pornhub announced it would restrict access to its website for users in the United Kingdom starting next week, February 2, citing concerns over the implementation of the Online Safety Act (OSA) and its age verification requirements, according to BBC Technology. 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."
The move comes after Aylo reported a 77% decrease in website traffic from the UK following the law change in October, BBC Technology reported. The OSA requires explicit sites to implement stricter age checks. Only individuals with pre-existing Pornhub accounts will be able to access the site's content after the restrictions take effect. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, previously stated that the tougher age checks were fulfilling their intended purpose, according to BBC Technology.
In other news, the UK government launched a series of free AI training courses aimed at helping adults learn how to use artificial intelligence in the workplace, BBC Business reported. The courses, many of which are free or subsidized, provide advice on prompting chatbots and using them for administrative tasks. The government aims to reach 10 million workers by 2030, calling it the most ambitious training scheme since the launch of the Open University in 1971, according to BBC Business. However, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) cautioned that workers would need more than just chatbot prompting skills to adapt to the growth of AI, BBC Business reported. "Skills for the age of AI can't be...", the IPPR stated, according to BBC Business.
Meanwhile, in Hungary, prosecutors charged Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony for his role in organizing last year's gay pride march, Al Jazeera reported. The march, which attracted hundreds of thousands of people, proceeded despite a ban. Prosecutors are seeking a fine against Karacsony, accusing him of organizing and leading a public gathering in defiance of the police ban, according to Al Jazeera.
Separately, EasyJet was warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for a "misleading" claim that cabin bags were available "from £5.99," BBC Business reported. The ASA stated that EasyJet failed to provide evidence that customers could purchase a carry-on bag for that price. The claim, featured on EasyJet's website, was flagged by consumer group Which?, which noted that airlines often advertise low fares but have additional fees, according to BBC Business. EasyJet responded by stating, "We always aim to provide clear information to our customers on pricing," according to BBC Business.
Sky News also released a podcast titled "Regime crackdown: Life inside Iran," focusing on the recent wave of protests in the country.
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