Government to review UK pornography laws after campaign supported by CARE

A newly announced review of Britain’s pornography laws is an important step in tackling an “alarming culture of sexual violence” in the UK, CARE has said.

The forthcoming review will examine all legislation covering pornography both online and offline to ensure that it is “fit for purpose”.

Ministers note that there are currently “different regimes” covering the publication and distribution of pornographic material in the online and offline spheres.

The move follows a campaign led by Baroness Benjamin and supported by CARE.

‘Parity of protection required’

Tim Cairns, policy expert in online safety at CARE, said:

“This review is an important step, and we hope that should emphasise gaps in our regulation of pornography and inspire work to address them. As the government has noted, there are differences in the way pornography is dealt with offline and online. We believe there should be a parity of protection in both spheres.

“In terms of pornographic content, what is illegal offline should be illegal online. Extreme pornography and prohibited pornographic material that cannot be sold in shops should not be available to watch online. Upwards of 65% of pornography available on mainstream websites would not be allowed to be sold in shops.

“The government’s recent decision to bolster Online Safety Bill clauses relating to age verification was welcome. Age checks on porn viewers will help protect young children. However, we must consider the age of individuals on screen. Measures verifying the consent and age of people in pornographic videos are crucial.”

Mr Cairns added:

“The gravity of decisions taken on pornography in the coming years is clear when you consider the alarming culture of sexual violence we are witnessing in the UK. There have been a plethora of awful cases involving sexual crime against women where the perpetrator was known to be interested in extreme pornography.

“Ofsted has also reported growing levels of sexual harassment among school-aged children. The idea that our society is not being negatively affected by open-ended access to pornography is absurd. Political leaders must be realistic about what pornography is leading to in our society and take appropriate action.”

Evidence of porn’s harms

CARE points to a growing body of evidence from front line workers helping victims of sexual crime, educationalists and members of the judiciary about the link between consumption of extreme pornography and sexual crime.

2020 research by the UK Government’s Equalities Office found that professionals helping victims of sexual crime “spontaneously mentioned pornography as an influential factor for harmful sexual behaviours towards women and girls”.

In 2016, a report by the Women and Equalities Committee highlighted concern among experts that porn is motivating attacks in schools. It stated:

“Practice-based evidence from those working in schools suggests there may be an increase in sexual violence and sexual harassment, facilitated by technology and social media. The link between pornography and sexual violence was a consistent theme amongst expert witnesses”.

Concern among UK public

Polling commissioned by CARE found broad public concern about the link between pornography consumption and sexual violence against women and girls.

A Savanta ComRes poll of 2,000 people found 6 in 10 UK adults agree with the statement: “I am concerned that pornography is inspiring sexual violence against women and girls.” Only 1 in 10 disagreed.

7 in 10 adults also agreed that: “The government should stop websites publishing extreme pornography that portrays violence or non-consensual sex”, with less than 1 in 10 respondents disagreeing.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) provides analysis of social policy from a Christian perspective.

It has campaigned for age checks on porn sites for more than a decade and worked closely with parliamentarians on provisions in the Digital Economy Act 2017 that laid the groundwork for the online safety regime.

For more information or to request an interview with a CARE policy expert contact: press@care.org.uk