Global War on Porn
French Government Report Urges Criminalization of Adult Industry
A sensationalistic report released this week by a French government office is urging immediate state censorship and broad criminalization of the adult industry in France and worldwide.
UK Parliament Passes Controversial 'Online Safety Bill'
The U.K. Parliament on Tuesday passed the much-delayed Online Safety Bill, despite vocal criticisms by virtually all digital rights and free speech organizations and advocates.
Italian Government Pulls Back on Controversial Anti-Porn Language in 'Youth Crime' Bill
The far-right administration of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reportedly pulled back from anti-porn language that had been inserted into a controversial “youth crime” executive order, which was fast-tracked after the media sensationalized specific incidents of sexual assaults.
French Court Postpones Decision on Blocking Adult Sites
The Paris Judicial Tribunal on Friday decided to postpone its decision on whether to order internet service providers in the country to block access to five of the most visited adult tube sites in France.
FSC Appoints Vince Charlton as AV Liaison for UK, Europe
Industry veteran Vince Charlton will join FSC as the organization’s Age Verification Policy Liaison — with a special focus on the U.K. and Europe — as it works to more proactively engage legislators and regulators.
Conservative UK Prime Minister Orders Review of All Porn Laws
Rishi Sunak, the Conservative prime minister of the U.K., has ordered a full review of British pornography laws.
Apple Warns UK Government of Serious Privacy Risks if 'Online Safety Bill' Passes
Apple has issued a statement warning against serious privacy risks that it says would result from the passage of the Online Safety Bill currently being fast-tracked by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Spanish Feminist Leader Crosses Party Lines to Demand Porn Censorship, Sex Work Abolition
Veteran Spanish feminist academic and activist Amelia Valcárcel reaffirmed her alliance with the right-wing Partido Popular (PP) on Wednesday by issuing a demand for the adoption of 10 policy items, starting with censorship of adult content and the abolition of all sex work.
British Baroness Defends Controversial California Age Verification Law She Inspired
The Baroness Beeban Kidron, a British aristocrat with California and Hollywood ties, was the subject last week of a fawning profile by Politico, in which she continued to defend her controversial campaigns for internet age verification in the U.K. and California.
Dorcel Testing Age Verification Solution in France
Veteran French studio Dorcel is currently testing a “double anonymity” age verification solution designed by a Marseille-based tech company.
Spanish Anti-Porn Activists Demand Laws to Match Utah and China
Local Spanish politicians and activists are demanding anti-porn legislation to mirror current initiatives in France, Germany, Utah and even China.
Pope Francis Condemns Adult Content as 'Commercialization of Love'
Pope Francis I condemned all pornography as “the crudest commercialization of love” during a meeting on Thursday with students and with bishops responsible for Catholic schools.
French Government Admits New Adult Content Law Will Target Twitter Too
The French government has confirmed that the new bill it introduced on Wednesday to bypass the courts and force platforms to implement age verification will apply not only to specifically adult sites but also to any site that allows explicit content, including Twitter.
France Moves to Force Adult Websites to Comply With Unclear Age Verification Law
The center-right French government led by Emmanuel Macron confirmed over the weekend that it will attempt to bypass the courts to force the five largest adult sites accessible in the country to comply with a controversial, vaguely worded 2020 age verification law.
China Flaunts Online Censorship Successes
The Chinese government released a statement Wednesday touting the results of its campaign during the first quarter of 2023 to censor, threaten and punish platforms and websites for “harmful information,” a category in which China includes pornography.
New EU Rules for 'Very Large' Platforms Raise Concerns for Adult Sector
The European Commission yesterday officially identified 19 major platforms and search engines to be targeted for compliance under the controversial Digital Services Act (DSA).
French Court Sets July Date to Decide Whether to Block Adult Sites
The Paris Judicial Tribunal held a hearing earlier this month with representatives from five of the most visited adult tube sites in France, and set itself a July 7 deadline to decide whether to order internet service providers in the country to block access to those sites.
German Police Ramp Up Plan to Eliminate All Explicit Content From Twitter
German police have been targeting and intimidating specific Twitter users who post or retweet explicit material, in an attempt to move forward local bureaucrat Tobias Schmid’s campaign to purge all open platforms of adult content.
Pope Francis: 'Those Who Use Pornography Are Diminished as Humans'
A propagandistic documentary currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, showing Pope Francis speaking to young people, features a full segment in which an adult content creator tells the head of the Catholic Church about her positive experience with sex work.
Australia's Top Censor Submits Secret 'Road Map' on Age Verification
Top censor and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who has acknowledged having conversations with U.S.-based, religiously-inspired anti-porn lobby NCOSE, submitted to the Australian government on Friday a road map to implement age verification for “online pornographic sites.”