U.K. Porn Stakeholders Protest in Front of Parliament

U.K. Porn Stakeholders Protest in Front of Parliament

LONDON — Stakeholders in the U.K. adult entertainment industry staged a protest outside of Parliament today, campaigning against the risks posed to personal privacy and sexual freedom by the proposed Digital Economy Bill.

On a glorious blue-sky day in London, "obscenity" attorney Myles Jackman and pornographer Pandora Blake warned attendees of the dire effects of the bill that likely could change browsing habits of people who watch porn online and infringe on their civil liberties.

“Not only is the Digital Economy Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, an outrageous attack on our sexual freedoms and personal privacy but because the laws around sex, porn and obscenity in this country are massively overdue for a review,” said Blake, who runs a feminist spanking website.

“And we need to demand review of the Obscene Publications Act and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) Act on which the Digital Economy Bill relies.”

Jackman and Blake, along with some in the local porn and sex worker communities, advocated in front of protest signs that read, “I reserve my right to English vice” and “Shame on you, we come too.”

The pair organized Monday's event, titled "Backlash Kink Olympixxx," which included speakers from Privacy International, Index on Censorship and the English Collective of Prostitutes.

"While the Backlash Kink Olympixxx was conceived as a playful protest, the Digital Economy Bill poses a serious risk of users' personal sexual preferences being leaked," Jackman said prior to today’s event.

The Digital Economy Bill, opponents say, will introduce compulsory age verification for all adult content without any measures to safeguard the privacy of web users. 

Jackman, who runs Backlash, which defends freedom of sexual expression for consenting adults in the U.K., said the bill will "adversely affect sexual minorities' ability to freely express their sexuality and, most frighteningly, imposes state censorship and surveillance of consensual adult sexual content in the U.K.”

Now being weighed by the House of Commons, the bill could impose financial penalties of up to $250,000 for noncomplying adult entertainment sites. It would even target high-traffic foreign websites for sanctions, which could be levied against U.K. business partners.

Sanctioned sites could find web properties blocked by IP address and de-indexed from search engines, according to testimony made last week at Parliament.

Last week, the BBFC was tapped as the country’s new age-verification regulator that will be charged to implement the proposed new rules.

Pictured: Myles Jackman in front of Parliament

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Fleshy to Launch Interactive Cam Site 'Eremote'

Male pleasure brand Fleshy has announced that it will launch an interactive, bidirectional cam site next month called Eremote.

XBIZ LA Show Introduces New 'Crib Crawl' Feature

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the 2025 edition of its flagship conference, the XBIZ Show, will debut a brand-new feature: Crib Crawl, offering attendees the chance to meet and greet representatives from leading brands and organizations in dedicated suites at the host venue.

Pre-Nominations Now Open for 2025 TEAs

The pre-nomination period for the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) is now open.

Byborg Invests $22.35M in PLBY Group

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA is investing $22.35 million in Playboy parent company PLBY Group.

Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on Texas AV Law in January

The United States Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Free Speech Coalition's challenge to Texas’ age verification law to take place Wednesday, Jan. 15.

2025 XBIZ Exec Awards Nominees for Online Industry Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the nominees for the online industry edition of the 2025 XBIZ Exec Awards, set to be presented as part of the annual XBIZ Honors ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in conjunction with the XBIZ 2025 conference.

Project 2025 Leader Claims Big Tech Companies 'Deliberately Fuel Pornography Addiction' Among Men

Heritage Foundation president and Project 2025 leader Kevin Roberts published on Wednesday the text of a speech in which he persists with his past claim that “predatory Big Tech corporations” are “deliberately fueling pornography addiction” among young men.

FSC Petitions 10th Circuit for Review of Utah AV Dismissal

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) on Wednesday petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit to review a decision handed down earlier this month by a three-judge panel of the same appeals court, which denied FSC the right to challenge Utah’s controversial age verification law by suing state officials.

MyAdultAttorney's Corey D. Silverstein to Hold Post-Election Legal Impact Webinar

Industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein will hold a “Legal Impact” webinar titled “We Have a New U.S. President: Legal and Community Implications” on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. PST.

Pornhub Shuts Down Access in Oklahoma Over Age Verification

Aylo began geo-blocking Pornhub across Oklahoma on Tuesday, three days in advance of the state’s new age verification law, SB 1959, taking effect.

Show More