Moderation Sex Board

There are also apps that do it via facial age estimation

Well, that wouldn’t work on here considering half the site claims to look like teenagers 😂

Can’t they make some kind of subscription model for the sex board (not necessarily paid for, but requiring some sort of age verification)? That would give some kind of protection.

we'd be grateful if this thread could remain about policy, rather than personal comments about individual posters.

Obviously this only applies to particular posters, right? Not to me ...

Nothing. Don't rise to it.

@Maybebe what do you mean?

This type of scenario is something that comes up regularly in my job. I answered a question. What did I do wrong?

Absolutely. In which case the internet should be banned.

Mumsnet already have a payment processor for premium. If they used the same payment processor and PCI standards to verify age with a credit card there would be no data protection implications, as long as the privacy statement and statement when giving credit card details were clear on the basis for processing.

Again, not at all suggesting that would be the method mumsnet would wish to use, merely correcting the statement that there would be data protection implications.

Proportionate to the risk?
Anything which mitigates risk to children cannot be regarded as disproportionate.

You'll note I didn't recommend any specific method for mumsnet.

The question was "how would age verification work" and I answered that question.

I did not suggest that anyone would need to enter a credit card to access mumsnet.

But is that proportionate to the risk? Entering credit card details before joining MN, they'll never do that. It would put so many people off and presumably have all sorts of Data Protection and storage implications for MN.

There's loads of different ways to do it. These could include but are not limited to requirement to enter date of birth, requirement to enter id document number such as driving licence or passport, requirement to enter a credit card number.

There are also apps that do it via facial age estimation or there's another app I can't remember the name of that links face to an id doc (I could look that up but it's on my work laptop and I don't remember the specific details. They did a presentation at work about 3/4 years ago)

There's also various other methods in development that involve sharing of specific information to specific websites and organisations.

In a nutshell, mumsnet could choose any one of a number of methods.

How would age verification work?

It is tricky.

I don't think there are any bullet proof ways of protecting children online but a parenting site that doesn't even look as if it's trying is not somewhere I want to be.

Also.

Making and distributing indecent images of a minor is a thing

If people here are swapping pics of themselves, mumsnet could be right on the hook for enabling that because there is absolutely no age verification and the sex board is open to all without registering.

What's to stop someone sending in decent images of a person under 18 in PMs?

FWIW I think the Online Safety Bill is mostly an unworkable shitshow and a threat to freedom of speech but if this amendment passes then Mumsnet deserve to be caught by it.

Getting upset because anyone can PM you?? Don't use Mumsnet if you are scared of that.

Go and tell the House of Lords! You have no idea what's going on do you?

You can't on the one hand present yourself as a parenting forum, championing the cause of online child safety, and on the other hand have such a lax attitude to the content you host that any child could just wander in and engage in xxx chat with anonymous adults with no safeguards whatsoever.

The sex people should also care about this even if they don't give a shit about safeguarding and only care about themselves. There are legal implications for anyone who engages in sex chat with a minor. 'Didn't know' doesn't always cut it if you should have known or if you were made aware of specific risks.

I understand that there are a bunch of people looking for a good, relatively unsleazy venue for their sex chat hobby. Good luck, Mumsnet is not it but neither is any other venue that does nothing to protect you from sexual interactions with minors.

Exactly this.

The issue is safeguarding, not distaste.

Let's not get into a nanny state though. Do we really need MN to hold our hands and protect us from every unsavoury thing that might be out there?? If you post on a public forum, which this is - please remember - then any other member of the public can respond to what you've written, or respond to you directly. You can turn that facility off (by not accepting PMs) or you can ignore them, or you can report them if they're really offensive.

Yea, absolutely we (and MN) have an obligation to try and keep everyone safe and prevent abuse but, seriously. Getting upset because anyone can PM you?? Don't use Mumsnet if you are scared of that.

Oh, how useful.

It was brought up as a concern on the now deleted threads.

Mumsnets response was to report unwanted PMs. 🤔

The sex people told posters to turn off their PMs. 🧐

You have to wait a paltry 7 days before you can post on the topic but meanwhile there is nothing to stop you from reading threads and PMing other posters

I had not thought of that, but of course it is obvious. Once you're signed up you can PM anybody.
I hope MNHQ is really paying attention.
It's appalling.

It's incomprehensible to me that Mumsnet are championing an amendment to the Online Safety Bill which, if it was passed, would likely put them on the wrong side of the law - because of their lax attitude to managing the sex topic.

Unlike other sensitive areas of the site, the sex topic is optimised for google (because of course it is ) so a search for 'mumsnet sex topic' will take you straight there. You can read everything that is written there without even logging in.

To create an account, all you need is a throwaway email address. No age verification of any kind.

You have to wait a paltry 7 days before you can post on the topic but meanwhile there is nothing to stop you from reading threads and PMing other posters.

What makes you think you won't be subject to the user-to-user rules in the amendment you are championing? What makes you think you shouldn't be?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_campaigns/4777073-mnhq-here-write-to-your-mp-to-ask-them-to-strengthen-the-online-safety-bill-and-protect-children-from-porn

You’re a man, so was the person who asked for suggestions of sex sites.

You are minimising a comment that would make many women feel uncomfortable coming from a man especially. And if you don’t understand why that question would feel different for a woman, you should try to think why.

Right, I'll leave you to it. I've got a real life to get back to.

Congratulations, guys. I hope this thread is left to stand. Even with the deletions, it's enlightening.