The House of Commons has passed a Bill that forces people to ask to be allowed to see porn and bans many sex acts from appearing in adult videos.

The Digital Economy Bill received an unopposed third reading from MPs, meaning that it is on its way to becoming law. As such, it will force pornographic websites to add age verification checks that won't let people watch videos until they sign up to a special verification programme.

The law has been criticised both by free speech advocates and security experts, who argue that the age verification measures will make people unsafe. But it has also been criticsed by people who argue that pornographic material will still be available through non-adult websites like Twitter.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Culture minister Matt Hancock said the changes will see children protected by "one of the most robust" regimes in the world - but admitted the proposals are "not a utopia" and will not cover Twitter.

He said: "There is a difference between websites that provide commercial pornography and platforms on which others can upload images, and getting this right among that second group is much harder than around the first group.

"And so what we are proposing to do is to put forward this Bill to deal with the large swathe of the problem and to get this working properly and to deal with the mainstay of the problem and then see how it's working.

"I appreciate that for those who really want to access porn online then if they are really intent on doing that then there is a big challenge in stopping that."

He said the Bill is "not a utopia but it is a very important step".

His comments came after former culture secretary John Whittingdale warned that children are increasingly accessing porn through social media sites such as Twitter.

Fellow Tory Maria Miller, chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee, urged ministers to put more pressure on these platforms to take down porn that can be viewed by children.

She said: "Isn't it fair to say that four years ago providers like Twitter told us it was impossible to take down visual images of children being sexually abused? But now, quite rightly, there is a code of practice in place.

"Surely, where there is a will there is a way, and he has already proved that he can make significant progress. Should he not be putting more pressure on organisations like Twitter?"

The Bill, which will be debated in the Lords, contains measures to improve broadband services and crack down on "IT crooks" who use computer software to buy tickets before selling them for sky-high prices.

It also transfers the responsibility and cost of free TV licences for the over-75s to the BBC.

Mr Brennan said Labour welcomed many of the measures in the Bill including the rules on age verification for porn sites, but said the Conservatives had missed an opportunity to draw up a more ambitious blueprint to boost the digital economy.

He said: "This Bill attempts to cover everything but I'm afraid there are quite a few holes in it, because a Digital Economy Bill would look much better if it properly recognised the importance of the digital economy to the whole country."

He said it should have been "more ambitious" in delivering ultra-fast broadband and mobile networks, boosting digital skills and beefing up cyber security.

But Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said the Bill will "cement the UK's status as a world leading digital economy".

She said: "It will help people connect to high-speed broadband, expanding their personal opportunities and stimulating economic activity.

"It will improve public services thanks to better information management. And it will protect the vulnerable from some of the hazards of the digital world."