Politician: Digital Economy Bill Useless Unless Social Media Is Included

Politician: Digital Economy Bill Useless Unless Social Media Is Included

LONDON — The politician who introduced the U.K.’s Digital Economy Bill is worried that a porn filter mandate might be useless if the piece of legislation doesn’t include social media networks like Twitter.

"One of the main ways in which young people are now exposed to pornography is through social media such as Twitter, and I do not really see that the bill will do anything to stop that happening," conservative MP and former minister John Whittingdale told Parliament on Monday.

Members of the House of Commons on Monday approved the third reading of the Digital Economy Bill, effectively sending the draft legislation to the House of Lords for consideration.

The Digital Economy Bill contains measures to bring in age verification for adult sites and withdraws payment services from sites, including foreign ones, that do not comply. The government also has given the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) new powers to enforce rules over the types of sex acts that are distributed over the web.

Matt Hancock, who acts as minister of state for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said Monday that social media networks wouldn't be affected by the bill's passage because they're a "difficult technical nut to crack."

"There is a difference between websites that provide commercial pornography and platforms on which others can upload images," Hancock told members of Parliament. "And getting this right around that second group is much harder than around the first group. 

"We are legislating to prevent as much as possible of that inadvertent viewing by those who are not desperately actively seeking to do so. I appreciate that the bill is not a utopia, but it is a very important step forward."

Many question whether social network sites like Twitter, Tumblr or Reddit would make significant structural changes at the behest of U.K. authorities.

Twitter's rules curtail the use of "pornographic or excessively violent media" in profile or header images, but the portal allows posts to contain explicit adult content.

The amount of explicit content on the platform has grown since June, when Twitter allowed users to post videos lasting up to two minutes and 20 seconds.

Pictured: John Whittingdale

View text of Digital Economy Bill

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Show More