Protesters gathered in front of parliament on Monday to warn of the "dystopian" effects changes to the law could have on the browsing habits of people who watch porn online.

If passed, the digital economy bill, which is currently going through the House of Commons, will make it an offence for online porn providers not to ask users for "robust" proof that they are over 18 before accessing their content.

Lawyer and obscenity laws campaigner Myles Jackman, who co-organised the protest, told BuzzFeed News the "impact on consenting adults" would be "massively disproportionate".

"There is an impact on privacy," he said. "We could see age verification be done by private companies; there is no guarantee that your personal details will be kept private, will not be sent to a third party, will not be leaked or hacked Ashley Madison-style."

Pandora Blake, who runs a feminist spanking website and who also organised the event, added: "in order to legally access online porn after this becomes law, anyone over the age of 18 is going to have to verify their age by submitting sensitive personal information.