The Society of Editors has warned proposals to ensure news websites are “age appropriate” could end up “forcing some regional titles to fold”.

The SoE has spoken out against proposals by the Information Commissioner’s Office which, if enacted, would require news websites to either ensure their content is suitable to be read by children or require users to prove they are adults.

It comes after the ICO launched a consultation into the planned age appropriate code, which seeks to protect young people and children under the age of 18 from having their data details exploited on the web.

The SoE said in a statement that the plans risk “doing untold harm to legitimate media companies, even forcing some regional titles to fold”.

In his response to the consultation, SoE executive director Ian Murray, pictured, wrote: “The overall effect of such measures would see, the SoE contends, a huge loss of both audience and revenue, leading to the near collapse of the regional media and severely damaging national print and broadcast organisations.

“The SoE cannot see how the age appropriate clauses if implemented can further, protect or even uphold the existence of a free media in the UK, indeed becoming instrumental in destroying much of the media landscape as it currently exists.

“The age appropriate design code if implemented would require media organisations to ensure their on-line offerings become age appropriate in a way hitherto expected by only those sites specifically targeting children. To undertake such a task and fulfil those requirements would entail publishers and media organisations to either require their audiences provide proof of age limiting them to over-18 readers, or ensure their sites provide age-appropriate settings.

“Both of these requirements would prove virtually impossible to apply without either losing the vast majority of visitors unable or unwilling to provide proof of age, or damaging content to the point where it becomes irrelevant.”

Ian went on to say that publishers would face large fines “which could put them out of business” if the criteria were not met.

He added: “The whole regime if enacted would mean a watering down of editorial content which it has always been accepted is targeted towards an adult readership, although throughout the news industry this has always been provided in a ‘family-friendly’ manner and remains the case.

“Although news is not targeted specifically at children – those under the age of 18 – there has always been an encouragement that young adults and teenagers do engage with the world through reading newspapers and following news broadcasts. The proposed age-appropriate codes would seem to go against that body of thought, which in itself is strange at a time when there are more and more calls for young people, especially teenagers, to have their voices heard with regard to their future.

“Here it appears teenagers and young people under the age of 18 are to be treated as too young to be allowed to engage in the world taking shape around them.

“All of this is set against a backdrop of a UK media that is already well regulated and where the ICO is not recognised, nor accepts that it should be, as a media regulator. These proposals would seem to fly in the face of that understanding.”

An ICO spokeswoman said: “The ICO’s consultation on its draft age appropriate design code is ongoing. We will consider responses before drafting a final version to be laid before parliament.”