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

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.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

Show More