Some tough new UK web rules have been enforced this month that are aimed at stopping people from accessing adult websites. The update, which has been implemented by telecoms regulator Ofcom, now means those wanting to visit certain pages on the internet must prove their age first.
The changes should make it much harder for younger people to stumble across content that’s inappropriate, which is clearly important.
“This is a significant change to how adults in the UK access pornography, and is a key step in helping to protect children from harmful content when they’re online,” Ofcom said in a recent online post.
However, despite the significance of the update, it appears many adults aren’t too keen on the idea of handing over personal data, including name, email addresses and even bank details in a bid to log into X-rated content.
Some experts have even warned that doing so could put people at risk of cyber attacks, with scammers almost certainly looking for easy ways to cash in on the new system.
“There are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information,” Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET, explained.
This concern has now led to a massive boom in Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which can hide a browser’s data and even fool websites into thinking a PC is in a different country.
One VPN provider says it has seen a huge spike in UK downloads, and these applications are currently top of the charts on official app stores.
Although it might seem like an easy fix, downloading and installing a VPN does come with risks, especially when trying to find free versions.
The internet is full of websites that promise VPNs without any payment but these are often too good be true.
“One of the primary concerns with free VPNs online is that they may not have robust security features,” the EC-Council University explained.
“Many free VPN providers lack the resources to develop and maintain strong security protocols, leaving their users vulnerable to cyber threats such as malware, hacking, and phishing.
“Free VPNs need to generate revenue, and they often do this by logging and selling users’ data to third-party advertisers. These VPN providers may log your browsing history, online activity, and personal information and then sell it to advertisers, compromising your online privacy.”
If you are considering installing a VPN then make sure you do your research first and don’t install anything unless you know the product is totally safe.
Free VPNs might sound tempting but are fraught with risks so you will almost certainly need to pay to get a secure experience.
“We understand the temptation of having a secure online connection for free,” explained the team at Mozilla.
“It’s important that you know, however, that the risks of free VPNs may make you think twice about that free price tag. When VPNs are offered to users for free, that means that providers have to gain revenue in another way.”