On 1 December, new censorship laws against UK-based pornography came into effect.
The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014 introduced restrictions on Video on Demand (VoD) pornography produced and sold in the UK.
The regulations mean VoD is now subject to the same BBFC regulations that guide DVDs. All UK VoD pornography must now adhere strictly to an R18 classification.
This is the current R18 rating.
The list of acts specifically banned includes:
– Aggressive whipping
– Caning
– Penetration by any object "associated with violence"
– Physical or verbal abuse (regardless of whether consensual)
– Facesitting
– Urolagnia (known as "watersports")
– Spanking
– Female ejaculation
– Fisting
– Strangulation
Although the new laws do not prevent British citizens from watching videos containing these acts, they do restrict UK-based pornography production companies and individual sex workers.
The new laws have been criticised for unfairly targeting the UK's independent BDSM pornography scene, because the majority of the acts now banned would be considered BDSM.
Ms Tytania, a professional dominatrix, warned Vice of the long-term effects these changes might have on the industry:
The new legislation is absurd and surreal, I mean, why ban facesitting? What's so dangerous about it? It's a harmless activity that most femdom performers, myself included, do fully dressed anyway. Its power is symbolic: woman on top, unattainable.
While mainstream porn will be peddled without fear by the large studios – often owned by the same media moguls who denounce the 'sexualisation' of our culture – more niche, less clichéd sexual interests will disappear. It's the corporate shopping chain crushing independent shops on the high street by piling it high and marketing it to the dumbest common denominator. In five years' time we may only have one-size-fits-all porn, peddled by the porn equivalent of Primark.
People took to Twitter to react to the new restrictions. Most were unimpressed.
So the UK has a bunch of new porn laws aimed at suppressing all the things in porn that involve female/queer empowerment.
Probably the worst thing about the new UK porn laws is how patronising it is to sex workers/performers. "It's for your safety!"
So the new UK laws makes female ejaculation illegal in porn. But eating semen still totally acceptable. Your orgasms are vulgar ladies!
"penetration by any object associated with violence" cant believe the uk just banned penises in porn