A newly established independent pornography taskforce, led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, is preparing to propose new legislation this autumn to ban so-called “barely legal” pornography.
This move follows Channel 4’s controversial documentary “1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story”, which showcased adult performer Bonnie Blue (Tia Billinger) preparing to film a classroom-style orgy simulation featuring performers dressed in school uniforms because they look very young. Critics—including England’s children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza—warned that the documentary could normalize extreme sexual content, and potentially influence child sexual abuse imagery.
Baroness Bertin plans to submit amendments to the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill to make it illegal for platforms to host content mirroring child abuse, even if it involves consenting adults in costumes or settings intended to appear highly youthful.
Although the Online Safety Act 2023 empowers Ofcom to regulate explicitly illegal material—such as rape, bestiality, necrophilia—the current regime does not cover content that merely simulates underage scenarios, which the taskforce views as a significant legal gap.
📌 Proposed UK Porn‑Related Laws & Regulatory Measures
Targeted category:
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“Barely legal” content—pornography featuring adults made to look underage, especially school-uniform role-play, even without nudity.
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Who is affected:
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Online platforms (commercial and UGC sites) hosting or distributing such content.
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Performers and producers use youthful aesthetics to imply underage sexual scenarios.
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Legislative tools:
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Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise such content explicitly.
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Taskforce backed by independent review recommendations initiated in early 2025
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Enforcement body:
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Ofcom, under the Online Safety Act, can investigate and issue sanctions—though the current scope doesn’t yet include “simulated underage” content.
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Current legal gap:
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Existing laws criminalise actual child pornography and extreme porn (e.g., strangulation, necrophilia), but lack clarity on content that mimics child contexts using adults.
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Parallel reforms already underway:
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Ban on pornography depicting strangulation set to be included in the Crime and Policing Bill (effective June 2025)
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Government review urged bans on other forms of degrading, violent, or misogynistic material (part of 32 recommendations)
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Age verification requirement (Online Safety Act enforcement from July 25, 2025):
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All UK pornography websites must implement “robust” age checks—photo ID, facial age‑estimation, or credit card verification.
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Non-compliance may result in fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, or even site blocking
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Key dates:
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Crime and Policing Bill amendments expected in Autumn 2025.
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Online Safety Act age‑verification rules came into force on 25 July 2025, with daily age‑checks for pornography sites reaching ~5 million checks per day in the UK.
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Public and industry reactions:
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Broad public concern over privacy and data protection is driving increased VPN usage to bypass verifications—reports suggest increases up to 500–800%.
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Campaigners argue that regulation is needed to mitigate harmful messaging to young people.
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Critics claim the law amounts to “censorship by default”, raising risks for free expression and surveillance.
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🧾 Summary Table
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Proposed ban | “Barely legal” porn featuring adults appearing underage |
| Legal vehicle | Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill |
| Regulator | Ofcom, under the Online Safety Act |
| Existing coverage gaps | Simulated underage content is not yet prohibited |
| Parallel bans | Strangulation in porn has already been targeted |
| Age verification regime | Mandatory since 25 July 2025 |
| Non‑compliance penalties | Up to £18M fine or 10% global revenue and blacklisting |
| Privacy backlash | VPN surge; free‑speech critics vocal |
| Public safety rationale | Child protection: preventing normalization of abuse |
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