The UK should pass consent verification laws to pioneer stronger online pornography regulation
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/susannarustin. "The UK has a chance to pioneer pornography regulation – it must take it | Susanna Rustin | The Guardian." March 31, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues the UK should pass new laws requiring porn websites to verify that everyone in their videos actually agreed to be filmed and can withdraw that permission later. She says this is needed because current laws are too weak, leading to serious problems like non-consensual videos and easy access by children to violent content.
Conclusion
The UK government should accept the House of Lords amendment to the crime bill requiring consent verification for online pornography, making the UK a pioneer in pornography regulation
Premises
- Current online pornography lacks adequate consent verification, leading to documented cases of non-consensual content including underage and sex-trafficked subjects
- Children have easy access to violent pornographic content, with 79% of children in England having viewed violent pornography
- Online pornography normalizes harmful acts like strangulation and contributes to rising child sexual abuse rates
- Existing UK laws create an inconsistent regulatory gap between offline DVD content (strictly regulated) and online content (minimally regulated)
- Performers in pornography lack the right to withdraw consent after filming, causing ongoing distress when content remains published
- The House of Lords has already accepted the consent verification amendment, giving it a realistic chance of becoming law
Assumptions
- Government regulation can effectively address consent issues in online pornography
- Consent verification requirements are technically feasible for pornography platforms
- The documented harms of unregulated pornography outweigh concerns about free speech or industry burden
- Legal precedent exists for regulating sexual content (as with DVD classification)
- Public support exists for stronger pornography regulation given the evidence of harm