My research and recommendations to strengthen the regulation of extreme pornography have been adopted in the UK’s Independent Porn Review. This landmark review was commissioned by the Government in 2023 to examine what changes are needed to bring laws regulating pornography into the digital age.
My research and recommendations informed the Review on a number of key issues:
Incest porn is common and harmful: For a number of years, I have been recommending strengthening the extreme porn laws to include incest porn – videos depicting unlawful sexual activity between family members. The Review adopts this recommendation and I explain in this short comment why this step is necessary.
Choking/Strangulation porn is harmful and consent does not protect you: There is clear evidence of the influence of pornography depicting sexual strangulation on the behaviours of particularly young people and it’s harmful impact on women’s health, including their brain functioning. I recommended strengthening the law on extreme porn to ensure this is included, and the Review adopts this recommendation. I comment on this in this Glamour article on choking porn.
Algorithms of Big Porn shape our sexual habits and attitudes: It’s also vital to understand that it is the business model of the largest porn platforms that now shape what we see and view online, and influence the sexual scripts that influence our sexual activity, as well as attitudes towards sexual violence. My argument about how this changes how we understand the impact of pornography is recognised in the Review. This article in The Guardian by Fiona Vera-Gray and myself explains this more.
Sexually violent content of mainstream porn websites: My research with Fiona Vera-Gray which found that 1 in 8 titles on the landing pages of the largest porn platforms describe sexual violence provides the foundation for understanding the nature of today’s porn landscape.
What next?
We wait to see when and whether the Government will act.
Want to know more?
Read my comment on how incest porn is more harmful and common than you think.
Read my comment with Fiona Vera-Gray in The Guardian on how the business model and algorithms of Big Porn are shaping our sexual habits and attitudes.
On sexual strangulation, my comments on how we need to act due to the harm are included in this Glamour article.
You can also read my submission to the Porn Review.
More on my research and advocacy on this issue is available here on my website.
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