Although most pornographic websites are based overseas, the law will give Ofcom the powers to ask search engines, payment and hosting services etc. to withdraw their services to non-compliant sites.
The regulator will also have the power to ask Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block illegal sites, as they already do regularly to prevent access to Child Sexual Abuse Materials, terrorist content etc.
Global companies such as Mastercard have also indicated they would not choose to provide their services to websites in countries where a national regulator found them to be non-compliant with the law.