Christian think tank CARE has welcomed a series of House of Lords votes aimed at cracking down on online pornography.
CARE noted that while terrestrial pornography is bound by restrictions imposed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), online pornography faces no such limits.
The BBFC rules ban pornography that depicts illegal acts and content that humiliates and exploits women.
The amendments voted on by the Lords will close “loopholes” in the world of online pornography. For example, adults will no longer be permitted to pretend to be children in pornographic content.
Platforms displaying pornography will be required to verify the age and consent of those depicted. The women depicted will also be given the right to remove their consent at any time and have their content taken down.
Additionally incest and step-incest content will be banned, as will “nudification” apps.
Caroline Ansell, director of advocacy and policy at CARE, said it “marks an important moment in the fight to bring basic standards, safeguards and accountability to an online porn industry that has operated in the shadows for too long”.
“We warmly welcome the amendments passed, each of them will better protect women, children, and anyone at risk of harm,” she said.
Last year the government’s Online Safety Act came into effect. The Act, which began life under the previous Conservative government, has received a mixed reaction from Christians.
Some aspects have been welcomed, including measures to reduce the amount of online pornography accessed in the UK, particularly among the young, but some concerns have been raised about other aspects, especially where they concern freedom of speech.
