The Call for Evidence for the independent Pornography Review launches today
Law enforcers, pornography makers, parents and the public are being asked to help shape the future of pornography regulation in the UK from today (Thursday 11 January) as the government launches a wide-ranging call for evidence as part of its review of the pornography industry.
The questionnaire, which closes on Thursday 7 March will collect evidence on the impact of pornographic content on relationships, sexual behaviours, mental health and people’s views of women and girls.
This exercise will provide independent Lead Reviewer Baroness Bertin with evidence that represents the views of those in the industry itself and the public, which will be used to develop recommendations for the government to undertake.
The substantial impact that new technologies have had on the pornography industry will also be covered, with respondents asked for their thoughts on how AI and virtual reality have changed how pornography is made, accessed and viewed, as well as how this impacts viewers and the industry.
Law enforcement and the criminal justice system will have an opportunity to raise what challenges face them in identifying and tackling these issues in pornography – as well as giving the industry an opportunity to set out what it is doing to tackle them more effectively.
Lead Reviewer Baroness Bertin said:
Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Saqib Bhatti said:
Ian Critchley, QPM, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Abuse and Investigation said:
The Pornography Review, announced last year, builds on the government’s work to take the long-term decisions for a better future for our children and grandchildren through the Online Safety Act, by stopping children from accessing pornography online by requiring services to establish the age of their users, including through age verification and age estimation tools.