Plans for over-18 age checks on porn sites are expected to be delayed for a second time By Ed Riley For Mailonline Published: 07:45 BST, 20 June 2019 | Updated: 07:45 BST, 20 June 2019 Viewcomments Plans to introduce age checks for online pornography websites have been delayed for a second time. The changes, the first of their kind anywhere in the world were due to come into force on July 15, forcing porn sites to carry out 'robust' age verification checks. But today Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright is expected to announce that the date is being pushed back - having been delayed already from April last year. It is unclear exactly why it is being delayed again. Under the plans, websites that fail to implement the rules face having payment services withdrawn or being blocked for UK internet users. The Government will reportedly delay the introduction of the scheme (Peter Byrne/PA) The government has previously said that users will be able to verify their age in a number of ways, including using traditional forms of ID such as a credit card or passport, or by buying an over-the-counter card from shops where verification would take place face-to-face. Announcing the measures in April, Digital Minister Margot James said: 'Adult content is currently far too easy for children to access online. The introduction of mandatory age-verification is a world-first and we've taken the time to balance privacy concerns with the need to protect children from inappropriate content. 'We want the UK to be the safest place in the world to be online and these new laws will help us achieve this.' The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which classifies movies in the UK, is due to be the age verification regulator. Campaigners have raised concerns over the tools, however, warning that they could have consequences for user privacy. After the April announcement, Jim Killock, of the Open Rights Group, said on Twitter: '£ageverification dangers are obvious, from outing people to ruining careers and even suicides. 'What porn you watch can be very sensitive information. It's striking that MPs don't seem concerned, it's not like public knowledge about watching porn has never impacted an MPs career.' The Government said alongside requirements for age-verification providers to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it had created a voluntary certification scheme, the Age-verification Certificate (AVC), which will assess the data security standards of the providers. Planned age checks on viewers of internet pornography have been delayed until later this year Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility