In an effort to combat the sale of knives to minors, the UK government has proposed new regulations requiring internet sellers to authenticate customers using two different forms of identification. This action follows last summer’s deadly knife assault in Southport, where 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana killed three young girls with a knife he bought online. The attack sparked concern about how simple it is for minors to get lethal weapons from internet sellers, even though most knives are illegal to sell to minors. Online knife sales have gained significant attention, and stricter laws are now being demanded.
What Is the Process for Tougher Age Verification in Online Knife Purchases?
The new government plans would require online knife buyers to provide a live video to verify their age in addition to an identity proof, such a passport. The goal of this project is to make sure that only people who are legally permitted to buy bladed goods can do so by strengthening the present age verification procedures. In order to make sure that knives are not readily available to children, the government is concentrating especially on enhancing the verification processes for online knife sales.
“We take our responsibility around the sale of all age-restricted items—including bladed products—extremely seriously,” emphasised a spokeswoman for Amazon, one of the sites under investigation, emphasising the company’s dedication to responsible selling procedures. Before delivering a package containing an age-restricted item, drivers must use an app on their smartphones to confirm the recipient’s age as part of our age verification on delivery procedure.
What Happened in the Southport Attack and Why Is It a Wake-Up Call?
The Southport attack, which occurred in July 2024, involved Rudakubana purchasing a knife from Amazon when he was just 17. Despite his age, he was able to bypass existing safeguards and obtain the weapon. The attack left three young girls—six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar—dead, sparking public outrage and prompting calls for stronger regulations on the sale of knives online. This incident further highlighted the risks associated with online knife sales, calling for a comprehensive review of current practices.
In an opinion piece for The Sun, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer discussed the problem and expressed his surprise that it was so simple for young people to get lethal blades online. The case’s lessons are quite plain,” he said. As a child, the murderer from Southport carried knives on numerous occasions. He repeatedly made it apparent that he intended to utilise them. Tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon online with no restrictions or checks. A murderer with two clicks. This cannot go on.
Even for kitchen knives purchased online, age-verification checks can be set up using the technology. Now, we need to use it to shield our kids from attacks in the future, and I’ll make sure that happens.
Which Protections Are Being Enhanced for Knife Sales Online?
Customers are currently notified that “proof of age and a signature will be required on delivery” and asked to enter their date of birth when placing an order for a knife on Amazon. The current plan goes one step further, though, by recommending that internet merchants put in place stricter identification verification procedures to guarantee that customers are of legal age before completing their purchases. This might signal a big change in how internet knife sales are regulated.
For the government, Commander Stephen Clayman, the knife crime lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has been reviewing internet knife sales. The recommended reforms have been expedited due to the government’s urgency in addressing the issue, even though his report was supposed to be finalised by the end of this month.
New laws requiring more stringent ID verification procedures for online knife transactions may result from the review. “Even for kitchen knives ordered online, the technology is there to set up age-verification checks,” Starmer said. “I’m going to make sure that we use it to safeguard our kids from attacks in the future.”
How Will Tech Companies Be Held Accountable by the Government?
In the past, the government has declared its intention to apply fresh penalties to tech firms who do not stop illicit knife sales on their platforms. This includes the potential for CEOs at these corporations to face personal fines in an effort to make them responsible for the selling of hazardous products on their websites.
Despite Rudakubana’s youth and violent past, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also voiced her disappointment that he was able to purchase a knife on Amazon. The system’s failure to stop him from acquiring the weapon was referred to as a “total disgrace” by her. “That someone like Rudakubana, with his history of violent offences, was able to order a knife on Amazon with ease is a complete disgrace,” she remarked. “This has to change.”
Why Is the UK's Increasing Knife Crime an Immediate Concern?
In England and Wales, knife crime has significantly increased during the last ten years. Compared to 2016 statistics, severe knife-related offences increased by 54% in the year ending March 2024. Measures to reduce knife crime by half over the next ten years and strengthen safeguards against the sale of dangerous weapons are part of the government’s strategy to address this escalating crisis. A major factor in this battle is the growing apprehension around internet knife sales.
The startling ease with which blades may be bought online emphasises how urgently stricter laws are needed. Stricter regulations on the sale of products with blades and better age verification, according to experts, may be essential to lowering knife-related violence and safeguarding those who are most at risk, particularly children.
How Can We Prevent Future Knife Attacks on Children?
The terrible incidents in Southport serve as a sobering reminder of the risks associated with readily available firearms. It is hoped that stricter regulations on online knife sales will stop such tragedies in the future and protect kids from the potential of violence as the government proceeds with these new plans.
An ongoing discussion over the role of internet companies, retailers, and the government in limiting access to deadly weapons has been triggered by the heightened focus on knife crime, particularly in relation to online sales. In an effort to make online knife sales safer and less accessible to children, age verification checks are being recommended, along with possible penalties for noncompliant businesses.
What is the history behind Axel Rudakubana's trial?
Rudakubana has a history of carrying knives and had been sent to the government’s anti-extremism program, Prevent, three times between 2019 and 2021. He pleaded guilty to the killings of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice da Silva Aguiar. Concerns regarding his access to guns had been raised by his previous conviction for a violent crime involving another youngster. He was able to order the knife he used in the attack without facing many obstacles in spite of these warning signs.
Public criticism of internet retailers and their role in preventing the sale of hazardous weapons to minors has increased as a result of Rudakubana’s continuing prosecution.
A major step in the fight against online knife sales has been taken by the government, which has promised to act immediately in response to public criticism. New rules are anticipated to be enacted soon.