Online pornography that depicts harmful or illegal acts is to be banned from 6 November, the Government has confirmed.
Following the introduction of the Crime and Policing Act, it will be illegal to possess or publish pornographic content portraying suffocation or people who appear to be related, under 16, or roleplaying as a minor.
The maximum sentence for publishing all of such content will be five years in jail, with two to three years for possession, depending on the material. Anyone with an offensive image on their phone would be covered by the new law.
‘Unequivocal signal’
Ministry of Justice Guidance states: “The Government recognises the harm that some forms of pornography can have in shaping real-world behaviour, including by normalising harmful or illegal sexual behaviour.”
“These offences tackle pornography that risks normalising conduct that is harmful or illegal in real life, such as child sexual abuse.”
Baroness Gabby Bertin, who led a Government-commissioned review into the issue, expressed hope that the changes will “marry up” the differences in law between the online and offline world.
“This change in law alongside better enforcement and stronger regulation will send the unequivocal signal not only to the companies that host and facilitate porn but also to wider society that extreme and violent content that encourages real-life harm is not acceptable.”
Copycat behaviour
In her review published last year, Lady Bertin warned that non-fatal strangulation was “rife on mainstream platforms” and such material was fuelling copycat behaviour.
She noted that, in school, teenagers are “taught to reject sexist attitudes” but “a subterranean online world of pornography is simultaneously showing them that anything goes”.
Highlighting the lack of regulation for online pornography, she explained that to buy a DVD, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) “has to put a stamp on it, has to check that certain standards have been met.”
The Baroness added: “You just have to go on the homepages of some of these mainstream sites and you will see of all that degrading content – particularly violent towards women – and it’s all there for everyone to see.”
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