Home | Parents are e-tailers' best weapon in under age access battle

Parents are e-tailers' best weapon in under age access battle

07 September 2009

Parents could be online retailers' best way of preventing under age children buying illegal and age-restricted products.

IT specialists at national law firm Shoosmiths believe better parental control coupled with better enforcement of existing legislation can stop children accessing age restricted products like knives, pornography and alcohol.

Children as young as 13 have been able to buy knives from online retailers with few or no age checks.

Legal assistant Tricia Pearson said: “Switched-on parents will block children’s access to sites featuring adult content, illegal and age-restricted products, and those used by adults to prey on children.”

Online retailers can help parents by giving them information about how to limit children’s access to their site, for example by putting passwords in place and not letting children use credit cards. 

But she said e-tailers must not rely on parents; e-tailers still have to comply with existing laws about age-restricted products.

“Existing legislation is rarely used against online retailers, but they mustn’t be complacent, because enforcement campaigns can be launched at any time, particularly against well known, well financed e-tailers.

“Putting due diligence procedures in place and testing them regularly can be a helpful defence when faced with prosecution for selling age-restricted products and services.”

Other age verification methods available to online retailers include:
• database cross-checking – checks purchaser details against electoral roll, phone directory, passport and DVLA registers
• credit card registration procedures
• phrase searching – monitors key ‘youth’ phrases, and users rejected if sound too young
• software requiring children to input their age/date of birth

Pearson said: “Putting effective age verification measures in place can help e-tailers avoid falling foul of legislation, and including parents in the first line of defence could prove invaluable in what is an ongoing battle.”

For further information please contact:
Name: Alastair Gray
Phone: 08700 864096
Email: Alastair.Gray@shoosmiths.co.uk

Email this page