Updates to the UK's Crime and Policing Act came into force on 6 November. The law criminalises downloading or publishing strangulation or suffocation content and "certain types" of incest roleplay. Violating the law carries a risk of up to five years in prison.
Clips4Sale, which caters heavily to fetish content, broadly restricted content availability in the UK. Creator Sophia Truee said the platform removed 392 out of 506 videos, more than 75 percent of her content, flagging it for edits without specifying what needed to change. Another creator, Madame Caramel, said she had 198 clips left from 900. Goddess Kitty reported 931 clips restricted from UK audiences, writing that "all of them [had] utterly NOTHING to do with the UK laws."
"We, as creators, understand how difficult it is to be a content site in this current climate, but communication has not been prioritised," Truee said. "For many, this will be devastating, as over 20 years of the work will have just been wiped."
Clips4Sale told creators in an email that it would review content and its metadata, and that affected clips would be hidden. "This is a precautionary measure and does not necessarily indicate that your clips contain prohibited content or violate our policies," the platform said in support replies seen by 404 Media. "We are continuing to review affected content, and additional clips will be made available to UK buyers as they are reviewed and cleared."
Other platforms also responded. LoyalFans updated its terms to prohibit content that explicitly and realistically depicts strangling or suffocating someone, whether real or simulated, and told users it would remove non-compliant content. JustForFans introduced a "restrict this content" option to keep material from being viewed by users in the UK and said it would scan every new upload for content restrictions, allowing creators to review and appeal moderation decisions.
Truee said the situation "highlights the lack of protection sex workers and content creators have when laws aren't properly researched and clearly written."