The Scale of the Problem

The scale of online pornography consumption is staggering. According to WebRoot data, 28,258 users are streaming pornography on the internet every second, and approximately 25% of all web searches relate to pornographic content. These numbers highlight why governments are increasingly taking action.

United Kingdom: Leading the Way

The UK has been the most progressive in addressing online pornography access. The government introduced age-verification legislation requiring commercial pornography providers to confirm that users are 18 or older before granting access to adult content. The law was set to take effect in July 2019 and carries substantial penalties, including site blocking and revenue forfeiture for non-compliant providers.

United States: State-Level Initiatives

While the US has not enacted federal legislation, several states have pursued their own approaches:

• Tennessee and Missouri: Both states have pursued legislation requiring ISPs to implement password or biometric authentication controls before allowing access to adult content.
• Idaho: Legislation passed in April 2019 mandating that public libraries deploy content filtering technology by July 2020.

Why Governments Are Acting

Governments cite concerns about the accessibility of explicit content and its impacts on youth development. The ease with which children can access adult material online has become a driving factor behind legislative action. Research has documented cases where early exposure to explicit content has led to harmful behaviors, including documented incidents of child-on-child abuse linked to online pornography exposure.

What You Can Do Today

While legislative efforts work through the political process, families and organizations do not need to wait. DNS-based content filtering provides an immediate solution. CleanBrowsing's Adult Filter blocks websites categorized as adult content and enforces safe search on major search engines like Google, while also providing protection against malicious sites.