Blog Posts
Does porn aid abstinence?
In the US, that is one working hypothesis, where teenagers are, since the roll out of the Internet, safer, healthier and (unsurprisingly) a bit fatter.
Judge criticises CPS
Lord Justice Richards queried why a man was prosecuted for possessing “indecent” images when the photos were available for sale in a string of respectable mainstream bookshops. Quashing the convictions he said the trial judge had failed to adequately direct the jury on the correct “objective standards” to be applied […]
pornresearch.org
Respected academics Clarissa Smith, Feona Attwood and Martin Barker have set up www.pornresearch.org “to understand the patterns of use of porn by ordinary people”. Their website is a call for contributions. “In the past, pornography has overwhelmingly been assumed to be a ‘problem’, and the only really important questions to ask about it […]
A freedom too far
The Coalition have shied away from repealing the extreme images law, despite Liberals opposing the legislation when it was going through Parliament, and being in the Civil Liberties top 10 in the 2010 online consultation for repeal candidates. Backlash issued a press release confirming they will fight on. more…
Tell the Home Secretary to save a person’s life
Via Harry’s Place, we learn of the imminent deportation of LGBT campaigner Brenda Namigadde to Uganda, where she faces the prospect of being murdered for her sexuality and beliefs. Please sign this petition to encourage Theresa May to intercede and prevent this tragedy from occuring.
Lilith lap dancing rape myth exposed
Dr Brooke Magnanti has produced a careful review of the impact of adult entertainment on rape incidents in London that corrects widespread erroneous lobby and media myths, and is an excellent example of evidence based policy analysis so sadly lacking when the CJIA 2008 was whipped through Parliament.
PRESS RELEASE: Schlock Horror! Stafford jury acquits fantasy porn defendant
Prosecutors fail first test case to make mock erotic murder scenes illegal. K, who downloaded erotic fantasy images with violent themes from the internet, (1) was found not guilty of possession of extreme pornography (2) at Stafford Crown Court today. The jury were asked to decide whether obviously faked death […]
An example of better focussed speech regulation
Via Crime and Consequences, we learn that the US president has just signed the ”Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010”. The law is in response to a successful appeal by a company that was distributing images of extreme animal cruelty. Though not targeting the same material as the ban […]
Fear of the Imaginary
A common theme in sex censorship legislation is the desire, or at least willingness, to stamp out depictions of fictional events. For example, the anti-pornography provisions in the recent Coroners and Justice Bill were first mooted because of a loophole that was being exploited in some child protection legislation. Some […]
Facebook and the closing of the digital mind
While Governments can use the force of law to stifle expression on the Internet, they are far from the only threat to free speech. Tim Berners-Lee, one of the original creators of the World Wide Web, highlights the increasing use of closed Internet architecture, spearheaded by companies like Facebook and […]