Lack of Age Verification Allows Kids to Buy Age-Restricted Goods Online

Labour MP Margaret Moran brings a Private Member’s Bill to the House of Commons on Friday 16 May for its second reading. The Bill is in response to an increasing number of cases that have exposed the ease with which children under 18 can buy alcohol, adult films and other age-restricted goods and services on the internet. Moran’s proposals aim to ensure that anyone selling age-restricted goods and services over the internet has to take steps to verify if customers are old enough.

[UKPRwire, Fri May 16 2008] John Carr, Director of NetIDme and one of the world's leading experts on internet child safety said: "Margaret Moran’s Bill is important and we hope that it will get support from across the House. Online retailers are selling goods and services over the internet without any way of knowing if they are complying with the law. That cannot be right, and it puts young people at risk”

A recent survey by Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Service revealed that an alarming seventy-five percent of online retailers supplied age restricted goods such as knives, alcohol, spray paints and, in one case, even a machete to a child of thirteen years of age.

Bill Bilon, Director of Brent and Harrow Trading Standards said; “I am shocked and concerned at the types of products a thirteen year old child was able to successfully obtain through online purchases. The products that have been supplied so far have come from businesses who have not asked questions about the person age, albeit some had mentioned that the person had to be over 18 in their terms and conditions, others did nothing at all.”

“Of those that did ask for age confirmation, this was facilitated by a tick box. If a child was minded to purchase knives, alcohol or other restricted goods, there is a strong possibility that they may just the tick the box to confirm that they are over eighteen in order to successfully obtain any product on line. Whilst I appreciate that businesses need to flourish, they also have a responsibility towards our young citizens”

The ease with which children can buy age-restricted goods has magnified recently with the introduction of pre-pay debit cards. These cards can be purchased as gifts, and given to people of any age, or can even be bought over the counter directly by children. This means that Visa and Mastercard can no longer be linked exclusively to credit cards that are held by adults. A point that both companies have always made clear. The problem of course, is that if you have a card with a Mastercard or Visa logo on it, then you have something which is accepted anywhere where those logos appear, and that includes millions and millions of web sites.

If Margaret Moran's proposed Bill does come into force, thousands of online retailers may need to change their practices.

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