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The ''Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2007'' (2007/65/EU) of the European Union was implemented into [[Law of the United Kingdom|UK law]] through Part 4A of the [[Communications Act 2003]].<ref name=Ofcom_Review>{{cite web|title=Review of the Ofcom Designation of the Authority for Television on Demand|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/on-demand/statement/statement.pdf|page=1|publisher=Ofcom|date=15 August 2012|accessdate=21 November 2013}}</ref> The Directive updated the ''Television Without Frontiers Directive 1989'' (89/552/EEC) to cover the extension of traditional television regulation to TV-like VOD.<ref>{{cite web|title=Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) What's new?|url=http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/reg/avms/index_en.htm|publisher=European Commission|date=4 December 2012|accessdate=21 November 2013}}</ref> This directive was implemented in the UK on 19 December 2009 with regulations amending the Communications Act 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of TVwF – The Television without Frontiers Directive|url=http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/reg/history/historytvwf/index_en.htm|publisher=European Commission|date=4 December 2012|accessdate=21 November 2013}}</ref><ref name=Ofcom_Regulation>{{cite web|title=Regulation of TV-like Video on demand (VOD) Services|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/tv/video-on-demand/vod-regulation|publisher=Ofcom Website|date=20 September 2010|accessdate=21 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2009|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/2979/contents/made|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|accessdate=22 November 2013}}</ref> As a result, Ofcom consulted with the [[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]] about proposals for the creation of a regulator for UK-based VOD.<ref name=Ofcom_Review/>
ATVOD, formerly the ''Association for Television On-Demand'', had originally been created as a self-regulatory industry body with the support and encouragement of the
== Regulation ==
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{{see also|Age verification system}}
In practice the majority of ATVOD's work consisted of regulating UK websites that hosted videos to ensure that services containing adult content could not be accessed by users under 18. In September 2013 it ran a seminar for small businesses to explain VOD regulations.<ref>{{cite web|title=ATVOD Announces Seminar For Small Businesses |url=http://www.atvod.co.uk/news-consultations/news-consultationsnews/atvod-announces-seminar-for-small-businesses |publisher=ATVOD |date=26 September 2013 |accessdate=13 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213142356/http://www.atvod.co.uk/news-consultations/news-consultationsnews/atvod-announces-seminar-for-small-businesses |archivedate=13 December 2013 }}</ref> Its
ATVOD only had the [[jurisdiction]] to take action against websites that were based in the UK. Consequently, in 2013 the regulator proposed the introduction of a new licensing system. Licences would have only been granted to websites that had suitable age checks in place. Unlicensed websites would have had their payments from UK customers blocked.<ref name=BBC_Law>{{cite news|title=Porn site age-check law demanded by media regulator|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26779639|publisher=BBC News|date=28 March 2014}}</ref> Talks between ATVOD and financial institutions including the [[Payments Council]], the [[British Bankers Association]] and the ''UK Cards Association'' took place in October 2013. Subsequently, ATVOD provided the UK Government and the [[European Commission]] with detailed briefings on policy options.<ref name=ATVOD_News_15_November_2013/><ref>{{cite news|title=Banks to block internet porn sites|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10322072/Banks-to-block-internet-porn-sites.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=19 September 2013}}</ref> In March 2014 ATVOD proposed that legislation should be enacted before the [[2015 United Kingdom general election]], to forbid credit and debit card operators from processing payments from UK customers to unlicensed websites. This was not done, although the opposition [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] expressed support for such legislation.<ref name=BBC_Law/> The [[ASACP]] described ATVOD's proposed age verification measures as "overbroad" and expressed concern that any consequent legislation could be "overly broad in its definition of adult entertainment content".<ref>{{cite web|title=ASACP Clarifies Stance on ATVOD's Age Verification Initiative|url=http://www.asacp.org/index.php?content=news&item=1097,2014-04-25%20ASACP+Clarifies+Stance+on+ATVOD%EF%BF%BD+s+Age+Verification+Initiative|publisher=The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection|date=25 April 2014}}</ref> In November 2014 the [[Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014]] amended the [[Communications Act 2003]] to set out statutory and legal obligations for media distributors of on-demand content. The regulations defined the content that can legally be distributed under an [[R18 (British Board of Film Classification)|R18 certificate]] and make it a criminal offence to not adequately restrict access to such content to those aged over 18.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014|url=http://legislation.data.gov.uk/cy/uksi/2014/2916/made/data.htm?wrap=true|date= 4 November 2014|accessdate=24 November 2014|author=Ed Vaizey|publisher=Department for Culture, Media and Sport}}</ref> Further proposals were put forward by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in advance of the 2015 UK general election to give an independent regulator such as ATVOD the legal power to compel internet service providers to block sites which failed to include effective age verification.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tories promise to enforce age limits on online pornography|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/04/tories-promise-to-enforce-age-limits-on-online-pornography|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 April 2015}}</ref>
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