Should it be banned for all? From July, all porn websites must have strict age checks to prevent UK children from accessing them. But some argue that the new rules do not go far enough.
Under-18s set to be blocked from porn
Should it be banned for all? From July, all porn websites must have strict age checks to prevent UK children from accessing them. But some argue that the new rules do not go far enough.
The atmosphere in London's Trafalgar Square was ecstatic. Over 30,000 people had gathered to support the cause. There were loud cheers as the speakers on the platform proclaimed the message: "Moral pollution needs a solution!"
This was part of the 1971 Nationwide Festival of Light. It demanded stricter laws against pornographyPictures, videos or text with sexual imagery, made with the intention of causing sexual arousal. .
The protests had little effect and the UK porn industry continued to grow. The protesters could not have guessed how easy porn would be to find in the internet age.
Researchers say the average age at which young people in the UK first see pornography is 13. One child in 10 sees it by the age of 9.1
Growing up in the US, singer Billie EilishAn American singer-songwriter, who became famous as a teenager. She was born in 2001. was exposed to porn at 11 and suffered nightmares as a result.2
Now, as a result of the Online Safety ActA UK law regulating "harmful" online speech and media, passed in October 2023., all websites which include porn will have to check users' age. This might mean demanding a photo ID.
Two years ago the US state of LouisianaA US state in the southeast of the country, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for its history involving French, African, American and French-Canadian cultures. introduced similar controls. As a result, traffic to the Pornhub site from the state dropped by 80%.
But Pornhub's owners claimed that the move was "haphazard and dangerous". Users, they said, "did not stop looking for porn, they just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify age".
Some, however, feel that the law should go further still and ban porn altogether. In an article for Prospect, Sarah Ditum argues that porn is "deeply misogynisticStrong and deeply ingrained prejudice against women. , profoundly racist, routinely abusive".
A particular area of concern is the rise in people choking their partners during sex. The possible effects range from death to brain damage.
On another side of the argument are those who support free speechThe idea that people can say what they think without any fear of being punished or silenced. . They believe that a ban on porn could spread into a ban on things people simply do not like.
In some US states, important books have been removed from libraries simply because they contain references to sex.
Should it be banned for all?
Yes: Pornography warps people's minds and leads to acts of sexual harassment and violence. Adults are as vulnerable to its effects as children, so they too should be protected from it.
No: Censorship is generally a bad thing. Sex is a private matter in which the state should not interfere. Not all porn is hard core and adults should be allowed to watch it if they want to.
Or... No ban could ever be entirely effective. As with drugs, making porn illegal would simply turn it into a money-spinner for criminals who found a way of supplying it and encourage violent rivalry.
Pornography - Pictures, videos or text with sexual imagery, made with the intention of causing sexual arousal.
Billie Eilish - An American singer-songwriter, who became famous as a teenager. She was born in 2001.
Online safety act - A UK law regulating "harmful" online speech and media, passed in October 2023.
Louisiana - A US state in the southeast of the country, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for its history involving French, African, American and French-Canadian cultures.
Misogynistic - Strong and deeply ingrained prejudice against women.
Free speech - The idea that people can say what they think without any fear of being punished or silenced.
Under-18s set to be blocked from porn

Glossary
Pornography - Pictures, videos or text with sexual imagery, made with the intention of causing sexual arousal.
Billie Eilish - An American singer-songwriter, who became famous as a teenager. She was born in 2001.
Online safety act - A UK law regulating "harmful" online speech and media, passed in October 2023.
Louisiana - A US state in the southeast of the country, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for its history involving French, African, American and French-Canadian cultures.
Misogynistic - Strong and deeply ingrained prejudice against women.
Free speech - The idea that people can say what they think without any fear of being punished or silenced.