Attention all those who sing “God Save The Queen” and like a little flogging to go with it: British authorities have just announced relaxed regulations for BDSM-themed porn.
The government of the UK had previously announced a ban for any sort of fetish porn, ranging from any form of bondage to fisting. The move sparked an outcry from British porn producers as well as kink enthusiasts, who worried that sending homemade videos could put them in legal jeopardy under the Obscene Publications Act, a UK law first passed in 1959.
The Crown Production Service, the government agency charged with monitoring obscene content, has now amended those regulations. Pornography will no longer be prosecuted if the intended audience is over 18 years of age, the production is not linked with criminality, and no permanent harm or damage is caused during filming.
Related: More and more college students are engaging in BDSM and loving it
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Along with the relaxing of standards relating to obscenity, however, the CPS will also now require credit card information and proof of age for consumers wishing to view pornographic content. The porn community has decried these new regulations as “draconian,” as have civil rights watchdog groups.
The Open Rights Group, a UK organization concerned with protecting digital rights including privacy, has already criticized the move.
“The issue with age verification systems is that they need to know it’s you,” said group spokesperson Jim Killock.
“This means there’s a strong likelihood that it will basically track you and know what you’re watching. And that’s data that could be very harmful to people. It could cause issues in relationships. Or it could see children outed to their parents. It could mean people are subjected to scams and blackmail if that data falls into criminal hands.”
Heywood Jablowme
If I ever need a crown, I’ll be sure to call the Crown Production Service. 🙂
Seriously, you’d think there were a halfway point between having to show ID and just letting kids of ANY age get access to hardcore porn. But maybe there isn’t.
Back in Real Life days, if you looked young you had to show ID if you entered an “adult” store (if you’re too young to know, they sold porn videos, condoms, “toys” etc.).
I realize the UK has a different legal system but here in the US, online on “adult” sites we often see a message similar to this:
“If you are under the age of consent in your state or territory, please exit this site now.”
Well, I’m sure that works. No underage kid EVER clicks on Enter after seeing such a stern warning, do they?