The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has formally expressed its interest in extending its regulatory powers to include online pornography, citing rising concerns over violent and abusive content available to UK users. The move aligns with a series of recommendations laid out in the Independent Pornography Review, led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, and has sparked renewed debate about the regulation of digital sexual content in the United Kingdom.

The BBFC, which has classified physical pornographic media such as DVDs and VHS tapes for the past 40 years, is now positioning itself to become a formal online content auditor. It currently lacks statutory authority over internet-based content, a gap that both the BBFC and the review taskforce argue poses a serious threat to public safety and child protection.

“Legislation has existed for many years to protect the public from violent and abusive pornographic content offline, but online the law has not kept pace,” said BBFC President Natasha Kaplinsky during the launch of the Independent Pornography Review taskforce. “We stand ready to better protect audiences online by taking on the formal role of auditing online pornography.”

The push comes as new research conducted by the BBFC found that one in three adult UK users reported encountering what it classifies as violent or abusive content online within a three-month period. Examples include depictions of non-consensual sex, physical violence, and performers role-playing as minors, material that the BBFC says it would not legally classify for physical distribution under the Video Recordings Act of 1984, but which remains widely accessible online.

While Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has already been assigned a role in enforcing age verification measures through the Online Safety Act, its current remit largely focuses on user-generated content and illegal material, such as child sexual abuse imagery or depictions of extreme violence. Bertin and others argue that this leaves a regulatory void for “legal but harmful” content, pornography that may not cross the threshold of criminality but is still considered socially damaging.

“This content is violent, it’s degrading, it’s misogynistic,” said Baroness Bertin. “We know what a detrimental effect it is having on society. It is starting to really play out in how young people have sex, view themselves and view each other.”

The task force includes members from Parliament, law enforcement, and child protection charities. Labour MP Jess Asato, also a member, voiced particular concern over content that portrays adult performers as children using props like lollipops and teddy bears, material that is currently not illegal, but is widely seen as normalizing child abuse.

“It would be unthinkable for the tobacco, alcohol, or gambling industries to go unregulated,” said Bertin. “This has to come to an end for the pornography industry.”

A government spokesperson confirmed that plans to criminalize depictions of strangulation in pornography are already underway, in response to the task force’s findings. “Violence against women and girls is a national emergency,” the spokesperson said. “Tackling extreme pornography is a vital part of this mission.”

The BBFC has held “constructive conversations” with government officials about expanding its remit, according to Chief Executive David Austin, although precise mechanisms for online enforcement remain unclear. Unlike DVDs or cinema releases, online porn is global, and jurisdictional enforcement across foreign-hosted platforms presents a significant logistical hurdle.

Still, the push for expanded oversight is gaining traction. The BBFC argues that its longstanding role in content classification makes it uniquely positioned to extend these protections to the digital realm. Whether or not the government grants that authority, the momentum behind greater regulation of online pornography in the UK appears to be building.