The British Office of Communications (Ofcom) has outlined a number of ways in which explicit websites could prevent children from viewing pornography.

By scanning the faces of porn users and adding extra checks for young-looking adults, the regulator has set out a number of ways to prevent children from viewing pornography, the BBC reports.

The Online Safety Act, which will come into force sometime in 2025, will require social media platforms and search engines to protect children from harmful online content. The regulator Ofcom can impose heavy fines if companies fail to comply with the law. Identification methods could include requiring photo ID, credit card verification or digital ID wallets that store proof of the user's age.

Websites that use photo ID should introduce 'liveness checks' to prevent children using fake ID or a photo of an older person to trick the system.

Around 14 million people in the UK view online pornography and the ease of access has raised concerns about the use of explicit websites by children. A survey by the Children's Commissioner found that one in ten children aged nine view such sites.

People working in sex education believe that these safeguards would help protect children from this.

Users' biggest concern remains the security of their data. The owners of Pornhub are in favour of the principle of age verification, but express concerns about data protection. In their opinion, regulations such as these, which require the collection of "highly sensitive personal data", could jeopardise the security of users.