A new law banning extreme pornography, including depictions of strangulation, incest and adults acting out child abuse, came into force in England and Wales on Friday, as police warn that young people can move through extreme content towards real-life abusive images of children.
Police and legal experts say the law is urgently needed but that the government must emphasise its focus on platforms distributing the content rather than what individuals have on their phones. “This will be difficult to police,” said DC Sarah Turner, part of a specialist child abuse investigation team in West Mercia. “Teen is one of the most popular porn terms; there is a huge appetite for this material, it leads to blurred lines.” Her colleague DCI Gerard Smith added: “There has to be a focus on the distributors in order to prevent the sharing of this material at source.”
Smith’s team sees the impact daily. Across England and Wales, about 1,000 people are arrested each month for online child sexual abuse offences. Officers say men they meet describe escalating pornography habits before reaching a dark place. “They describe a numbness to extreme material,” said DC Pep Saladino. “There is a desensitisation – that is how they find themselves in a dark place.”
The ban follows years of campaigning linking pornography to real-life harm, sparked by a report from Conservative peer Gabby Bertin calling for a new regulator. The Ministry of Justice has run adverts warning users to delete extreme material or face up to five years in prison.
Professor Clare McGlynn of Durham University said the law is about cleaning up pornography sites, not policing what individuals have on their phones. She said: “I am concerned about misinformation online that this law is about policing what individuals have on their phones. It’s not. This is about platforms removing very egregious content.” She also raised concerns about material on X, asking what the platform would do about it.
Ofcom, the regulator, said it is preparing to consult on updated codes and guidance in the first half of 2027 and has already issued fines against providers. A spokesperson said: “We’re already engaging with platforms to make sure they’re preparing to comply, and once in force, we’ll be holding them to account. In the first 18 months of the Online Safety Act coming into force, we’ve investigated more than 100 platforms, and issued fines totalling more than £7m against 11 providers.”
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs a helpline to encourage people to stop viewing child abuse images, welcomed the ban. Vicky Young said: “Thousands of people who contact our Stop It Now helpline tell us that extreme pornography has played a role in their pathway to viewing illegal sexual images of children. We’re pleased to see this ban because it will make children safer.”
The officers said they see many young people, some in their early teens, in their work, and are considering a pilot scheme to send civilians to visit children viewing illegal material. “Several forces are looking at this following a successful project in Surrey called Solah,” said Smith. “We don’t want to criminalise children, so if there are no aggravating factors like they are coercing others, then the police are not the best agency to provide safeguarding advice.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The new law targets extreme content that campaigners say fuels child sexual abuse, marking a significant regulatory shift in the UK.
- Police data shows a direct link between extreme pornography consumption and child abuse offences, highlighting public safety stakes.
- Enforcement against platforms will test the UK’s Online Safety Act and set a precedent for online content regulation globally.
Background
The ban builds on years of campaigning and a report by Conservative peer Gabby Bertin. It follows the Online Safety Act and makes it illegal to publish or possess pornography depicting strangulation, incest, or adults acting out sex with under-16s in England and Wales. The Ministry of Justice ran a public awareness campaign warning of prison sentences up to five years.
Key Perspectives
- West Mercia Police: Say the law is necessary but must focus on platforms distributing extreme content rather than criminalising individuals, and report a surge in arrests linked to escalating porn habits.
- Professor Clare McGlynn, Durham University: Supports the ban but criticises Ofcom as a “lethargic regulator” and calls for stronger enforcement against platforms including social media sites.
- Ofcom: States it will consult on updated codes by early 2027 and has already taken enforcement action against platforms under the Online Safety Act.
- Lucy Faithfull Foundation: Welcomes the ban, based on evidence from its helpline that extreme pornography plays a role in pathways to child abuse.
What to Watch
- Ofcom’s consultation on updated codes of practice, expected in the first half of 2027.
- Whether prosecutions target platforms or individuals, and the impact on extreme content availability.
- Potential for wider international adoption of similar laws.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- Sources say otherwiseThe law applies in England and Wales, not “New England and Wales” as the headline says.404 Media: “it will be a criminal offense in England and Wales to possess or publish porn”
- SupportedThe law banning specified extreme pornography came into force on Friday.404 Media: “Updates to the Crime and Policing Act go into force on November 6.”
- SupportedPolice warn that young people can move through extreme content towards real-life abusive images of children.World news | The Guardian: “frontline officers warn that young people are going down a pathway through extreme content that could lead to real-life abusive images of children.”
- SupportedDC Sarah Turner said: “This will be difficult to police,” and described the popularity of the “Teen” porn term and its blurred lines.World news | The Guardian: ““This will be difficult to police,” said DC Sarah Turner, part of a team of specialist officers investigating child abuse in West Mercia. “Teen is one of the most popular porn terms; there is a huge appetite for this material, it leads to blurred lines.””
- SupportedDCI Gerard Smith said there should be a focus on distributors to prevent sharing at source.World news | The Guardian: ““There has to be a focus on the distributors in order to prevent the sharing of this material at source.””
- SupportedAbout 1,000 people are arrested each month across England and Wales for online child sexual abuse offences.World news | The Guardian: “Across England and Wales every month, police arrest about 1,000 people – most of them men – for online child sexual abuse offences.”
- SupportedDC Pep Saladino said men describe numbness to extreme material and desensitisation leading them to a dark place.World news | The Guardian: ““They describe a numbness to extreme material,” said DC Pep Saladino. “There is a desensitisation – that is how they find themselves in a dark place.””
- SupportedThe ban follows years of campaigning linking pornography to real-life harm, and a report by Gabby Bertin calling for a new regulator sparked the law.World news | The Guardian: “The ban is built on years of campaigning that links pornography to real-life harm. ... A report by the Conservative peer Gabby Bertin sparked the new law. It called for a new regulatory body to oversee the pornography industry.”
- SupportedClare McGlynn said the law is about platforms removing egregious content, not policing what individuals have on their phones.World news | The Guardian: ““I am concerned about misinformation online that this law is about policing what individuals have on their phones. It’s not. This is about platforms removing very egregious content.””
- SupportedOfcom said it plans to consult on updated codes and guidance in the first half of 2027 and has issued fines against providers.World news | The Guardian: “we’re preparing to consult on this in the first half of 2027. ... we’ve investigated more than 100 platforms, and issued fines totalling more than £7m against 11 providers.”
- SupportedVicky Young said people contacting the Stop It Now helpline report extreme pornography as part of their pathway to viewing illegal sexual images of children, and welcomed the ban.World news | The Guardian: ““Thousands of people who contact our Stop It Now helpline tell us that extreme pornography has played a role in their pathway to viewing illegal sexual images of children. We’re pleased to see this ban because it will make children safer.””
- SupportedWest Mercia officers are considering a pilot scheme to send civilians to visit children viewing illegal material.World news | The Guardian: “The West Mercia officers, like others across the country, see so many young people – some in their early teens – in their work that they are looking at a pilot scheme that would send civilians to visit children who are viewing illegal material.”