The British government has made it more difficult to produce porn in the UK by changing regulations to make online porn created in the country subject to the same restrictions as pornographic DVDs.

 

The government argued the changes would only target material considered “harmful to minors." 

 

The changes, introduced on Monday, now mean ten sexual acts cannot be filmed in the UK for online consumption. For example, scenes that include strangulation, facesitting and fisting - considered by the government to be "life threatening" acts - are prohibited.

 

Critics argued the change amounted to nothing more than “arbitrary censorship,” while pointing out that the hardest hit would be production companies focused on the BDSM and gay markets.

 

They also argued online viewers could still access content banned in the UK by viewing material filmed abroad.

 

Jerry Barnett, an anti-censorship activist, said this was nothing more than an attempt to force an outdated moral code on British citizens.

 

“It’s a set of weird and arbitrary censorship rules decided between the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), the police and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service),” he said.

 

Erotic film director Erika Lust added: “With this legislation, the UK is in danger of finding itself back in an age where porn is simply the boring, unrealistic, male fantasy of bimbos eagerly pleasing men as if it is their duty, where women are submissive and lack ownership of their sexuality. Women in the industry will now fear the loss of their livelihoods as well as their sexual independence.”

 

“Pornography is the canary in the coalmine of free speech: it is the first freedom to die," wrote lawyer Myles Jackman on his blog. "If this assault on liberty is allowed to go unchallenged, other freedoms will fall as a consequence.”

 

Jackman said he was worried the government would use the updated regulations as an excuse to block foreign websites, increasing the control politicians have over what citizens can and cannot see.

 

UK porn legislation: What is now banned under new government laws [The Independent]

 

British Censors Ban Spanking, Female Ejaculation And Other Sex Acts From Online Porn  [Huffington Post]

 

Into fisting or watersports porn? Hard luck, UK producers have just been banned from making it [PinkNews]