Internet age checks are an overreaction | Letters

John Carr asks why the Open Rights Group is worried about requirements for people to verify their age with pornographic websites (Letters, 22 November). Open Rights Group supports the many organisations calling for compulsory sex education that discusses pornography and relationships. We also welcome efforts by British internet service providers to help parents mediate their children's internet access and keep them safe online.

However, the government's proposals, outlined in the digital economy bill, could lead to the tracking of UK adults across the pornographic websites they visit. There are no specific privacy protections in the bill. In fact, the government wants a proliferation of age verification technologies. How will we know which are safe and which are putting us at risk of an Ashley Madison-style data leak? Some sites might ask for your credit card details. Again, how will we know if this is genuine, or in fact a scam to steal your payment details?