A review of pornography aims to gather perspectives from porn stars, parents, and the public to inform government guidance on the issue. The public, along with these key stakeholders, will provide input through answering question.
Porn stars, parents and the public are invited to answer questions to help advise government.
The upcoming industry review, commissioned to provide recommendations to the government, will explore the impact of pornography on relationships, mental health, and societal attitudes towards women and girls. However, a trade association representing the adult industry has criticized it, labeling it as a potential pretext for increased censorship.
In addition to assessing the societal effects of pornography, the review will also delve into the influence of AI and virtual reality on the production and consumption of adult content. There is growing concern about the potential misuse of AI for generating child abuse images and non-consensual pornographic material.
The government’s decision to appoint Conservative peer Baroness Bertin, a former 10 Downing Street employee, to lead the independent review was announced in December. The study aims to investigate issues such as abuse, exploitation, and trafficking within the pornography industry, as well as its impact on viewers. Furthermore, it seeks to identify measures to enhance law enforcement capabilities in addressing illegal pornographic content.
The new Online Safety Act already incorporates measures to prevent children from accessing online pornography by mandating services to verify the age of their users, utilizing age verification and estimation tools. Baroness Bertin emphasized that the ongoing review aims to ensure the law remains effective in adapting to evolving technology and serves as a means to “future-proof” it. She stressed the detrimental impact of extreme pornography and emphasized the collective responsibility to reinstate safeguards for the well-being of children and society as a whole.
The Free Speech Coalition, a trade association representing the adult industry, expressed optimism about the government’s call for involvement in discussions on regulating the industry. Despite sensationalized headlines and political rhetoric, the coalition emphasized the legality and ethical standards of their industry, highlighting their commitment to consent, safety, and preventing minors from accessing adult content. While expressing wariness about the review’s framing of sexual expression as a societal threat, the organization pledged to engage in good faith and contribute to finding practical solutions, dispelling myths in the process.
Myles Jackman, an obscenity lawyer, academic, and activist, expressed disappointment in the review’s negative and presumptive framing, urging a focus on addressing children’s sexual education needs instead. The review, prompted by an increase in sexual offenses by children attributed to mobile phone ownership and access to explicit content, has garnered support from Rick Muir of the Police Foundation think tank. Muir sees the review as a positive step in addressing harmful sexual behaviors, potentially contributing to long-term crime reduction from a policing perspective.
Professor Sonia Livingstone from the LSE has raised concerns about the insufficient focus on academic research in the current review. She urged the review to consider the existing evidence compiled by researchers, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the Online Safety Act’s potential impact on child safety online in the UK. Professor Livingstone expressed uncertainty about any novel proposals in the act and stressed the importance of scrutinizing business models that incentivize pornography firms to employ algorithms promoting increasingly extreme content, especially to vulnerable individuals. The review’s findings are anticipated to be released later in 2024.
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