- Italy announces age verification system for adult sites
- The measure comes into force on November 12
- Google searches for VPNs are on the rise
Italy has joined the United Kingdom, France and several US states in introducing age controls for online adult content. On Friday, the national communications authority, AGCOM, announced that the rules would come into force on November 12.
How the Italian age verification system works
According to the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA), the Italian system “guarantees a high level of security and protects personal data” thanks to a “double anonymity” functionality.
This feature means that the verification process is split in two: a certified third party verifies a person’s identity and generates a secure token that is then presented to the adult website. It is important to note that the third party does not know what content they are accessing and the website does not learn anything about the individual.
If successful, the system would be a marked improvement over some other recently introduced systems. However, consolidating people’s information into a third-party system, even if it is separate from the destination website, still creates a high-value target.
Additionally, as the process must be repeated every time someone wants to access the website, the risk of data insecurity increases.
Which sites are affected?
When the system comes into force, it will affect around fifty websites already listed by AGCOM. However, this is likely to increase and could soon expand beyond adult websites – as EPRA states, “the scope of age verification may be expanded in the future to include other services not suitable for minors.”
As has been the case in the UK, expanding the scope of age verification measures may attract harsh criticism and it appears that some people are already looking for ways around the restrictions.
What do people think about it?
Despite privacy and security guarantees, it appears some people in Italy are already considering ways to circumvent the controls.
According to Google Search Trends, interest in VPNs has increased significantly over the past week and searches for “November 12” – the date the new restrictions are expected to come into effect – saw a 140% increase.
The problem, as is often the case with age verification systems, is that people will turn to insecure VPN apps and other questionable platforms in hopes of keeping their data safe, while putting it at risk.
So if you’re really concerned about your data, it’s always worth doing some research and using a well-known brand like NordVPN or Proton VPN.
