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 © 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

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Show More