Spain Introduces 'Passport' to Restrict Porn Access

MADRID—Spain's national government announced Monday that it had introduced a digital "porn passport" to prevent minors from watching age-restricted materials, including pornography. The passport program is officially called "Digital Wallet Beta," which is an app the Madrid government unveiled that would enable platforms to detect whether a user is over 18 years old.  The app will ask users to verify their age. Once they're verified, adult users will get 30 "porn credits" for a one-month validity granting them access to adult material online. Users will be able to ask the government for more credits. Despite criticism, Madrid's government says the credit model is "privacy-friendly," reports the European Union online edition of Politico. A target launch is expected by the end of the summer. According to the Spanish-language newspaper El País, José Luis Escrivá, Spain's minister of digital transformation, said, "We are acting in advance, and we are asking platforms to do so too, as what is at stake requires it."  Expat newspaper The Olive Press adds that the tool only impacts pornography websites actually based in Spain's digital space. This means that the app doesn't technically block sites like Aylo-owned Pornhub or WebGroup Czech Republic-owned XVideos. Both are considered two of the largest adult tube platforms in the world. AVN previously reported on Spain's efforts to implement an age verification protocol as a child protection measure.