Influential Labour MP Asks UK Government to 'Proactively' Police Adult Content

Influential Labour MP Asks UK Government to 'Proactively' Police Adult Content

LONDON — As the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill navigates the committee stage in the House of Commons, the Labour MP who chairs the Home Affairs Committee is actively lobbying to make the government proactively police “whether adult entertainers have properly consented to appear in pornographic films” even if there are no reports suggesting they have not.

MP Dame Diana Johnson (Labour, Kingston upon Hull North), who also chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation, or APPGCSE, made a statement encouraging the political appointees at media regulator Ofcom to be “more proactive in investigating issues around consent in the online pornography industry, rather than ‘wait for complaints to be made,’” U.K. political news site PoliticsHome reported today.

As XBIZ reported, the controversial bill was unveiled last month by Boris Johnson’s Conservative government and introduced in Parliament the same day.

The government focused on “pornography” as the main supposed “online harm.” The Tory MPs claimed the bill “will protect children from harmful content such as pornography and limit people’s exposure to illegal content, while protecting freedom of speech.”

March’s lengthy announcement about the proposed legislation declared that the bill’s main mission is for “Parliament to approve what types of ‘legal but harmful’ content platforms must tackle.”

The U.K. is a constitutional monarchy with no written constitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment or codified Section 230 protection for the monarch’s subjects.

The PoliticsHome report noted that the evolving movement to stigmatize online adult content and mandate government censorship and arbitrary oversight for what legislators consider “commercial pornography websites” is the result of a targeted campaign by so-called “children’s charities” and the same APPGCSE that Dame Diana Johnson chairs.

Johnson told PoliticsHome she does not think the legislation goes far enough “on the matter of protecting women’s bodies from sexual exploitation.”

Proactively 'Cracking Down' on All Adult Content

She added that she wants government to “crack down” on ensuring adult entertainers are of age and have properly consented to appear in online videos. 

“We've heard evidence where people who have previously been in the pornography industry have questioned really whether they were able to give consent,” she stated. “There is also an issue about what happens if someone decides to withdraw their consent,” she added. “Does the website have a duty to take down any material that’s on there if a person says ‘I withdraw my consent from this?’”

The PoliticsHome report also interviewed adult performer and noted sex worker rights activist Jason Domino, who is also a representative with the United Sex Workers union. Domino questioned the top-down approach and return to government policing of sex work espoused by Johnson.

“Why are the voices of the trade union of sex workers not involved in this policy currently?” Domino said. “Ofcom has no experience at this point of dealing with this topic, and there are many politicians who also have no experience at all, particularly when it comes to matters of people's privacy.”

Copyright © 2025 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

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

New York Assemblyman Proposes Banning the Term 'Sex Work'

Republican New York Assembly Member Brian Maher has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of the term "sex work" in government documents.

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club, Some Laws Just Make No Sense

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Creator Networking App 'Plaiir' Launches

Plaiir, a mobile networking app for creators, has officially launched.

Swedish Court Rules LELO Products Do Not Infringe 'Invalid' Satisfyer Patent

A Swedish district court has ruled that a patent filed by Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH is not valid, and therefore three products from pleasure brand LELO are not in violation.

North Dakota House Committee Questions Anti-Porn 'Public Health Hazard' Claim

The North Dakota House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday amended a resolution that would have recognized pornography as a “public health hazard,” instead replacing that language with a call for further study into whether such a designation is appropriate.

Show More