UK Sex Workers Wake Up to Sites Purging Their Content Following Porn Ban

Key Points:

• Following the UK’s new Crime and Policing Act criminalizing certain sexual content including choking, breath-restriction, and incest roleplay, adult content platforms like Clips4Sale have removed hundreds of videos, often without clear explanation or indication of specific violations.
• Clips4Sale is conducting a broad precautionary purge of content accessible to UK users, flagging many compliant videos for review and requiring creators to appeal or edit content for potential compliance, causing significant disruption for creators, especially UK-based ones.
• Other platforms such as LoyalFans and JustForFans have also updated policies and implemented content restrictions, with JustForFans providing creators tools to restrict or appeal flagged content, highlighting the complexity and uncertainty caused by the vague and overbroad UK law.
• Creators report a lack of clear guidance and communication from platforms and the government, with automated moderation systems casting a wide net that removes lawful content, disproportionately impacting marginalized sex worker communities and causing financial and emotional distress.
• Platforms acknowledge the challenges of complying with the law, emphasizing ongoing reviews and hopes to restore compliant content while working to protect creators from legal risk amid unclear regulations and potential criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment.