Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of unregulated pornography websites on the (1) mental, and (2) physical, wellbeing of young people, particularly those who are vulnerable.

The Government commissioned research with the National Centre for Social Research, which was published in December 2022, to review evidence on the prevalence and impact of harmful content and activity to children, including pornography. The evidence in this report indicates that exposure to pornography may impact children’s perceptions of sex and relationships, and may lead to replication of practices found in pornography, increased likelihood of engaging in sexual activities and harmful or aggressive behaviour, and reduced concern for consent from partners.

That is why the Online Safety Bill will deliver comprehensive protections for children from pornography. The Bill will cover all online sites that offer pornography, including commercial pornography sites, social media, video sharing platforms, forums and search engines. These companies will have to prevent children from accessing pornography or face enforcement action. In addition, the Bill will require all in-scope providers to take preventative action to protect all users, including children and young people, from illegal content such as extreme pornography and revenge pornography.