The new pornography taskforce plans to propose legislative changes targeting the “barely legal” genre, which often features adults acting or dressing as minors. Baroness Bertin, a leading voice in the effort, told The Guardian, “This content is pushing at the boundaries. We will be trying to address the ‘barely legal’ aspect legislatively.”
The backlash intensified following the airing of 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story, a documentary following the adult actress over six months. The program included footage of Blue—real name Tia Billinger—filming scenes with actors dressed in school uniforms. During filming, some performers acknowledged they were selected specifically because they looked underage.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, said the program “glamorising and normalising” extreme pornographic content.
“For years we have been fighting to protect our children from the kind of degrading, violent sex that exists freely on their social media feeds,” she said. “This documentary risks taking us a step back by glamorising, even normalising, the things young people tell me are frightening, confusing and damaging to their relationships.”
Channel 4 faced criticism for how it portrayed Blue’s career, which includes a widely publicized stunt in which she reportedly had sex with over 1,000 men in 24 hours. She initially gained fame for filming sex scenes with young-looking male actors, labeling them “barely legal.”
Baroness Bertin plans to introduce amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill when Parliament reconvenes after the summer recess. The proposed changes would make it illegal for websites to host pornographic material that encourages or mimics child sexual abuse, including any depiction of adults pretending to be minors.
Brands including Visa, Cawston Press, and Smirnoff pulled their advertisements after their products appeared during the Channel 4 broadcast. Each said the content did not align with their corporate values or advertising guidelines.
“The glamorisation and normalisation of content creators like Bonnie Blue does undoubtedly have an effect,” said Bertin. “In my opinion, this is a direction of travel that is not particularly helpful for society nor is it prudish to call it out as such.”
A Channel 4 spokesperson defended the program, stating: “The film looks at how Bonnie Blue has gained worldwide attention and earned millions of pounds in the last year, exploring changing attitudes to sex, success, porn and feminism in an ever-evolving online world.
“Director Victoria Silver puts a number of challenges to Bonnie throughout the documentary on the example she sets and how she is perceived, and the film clearly lays bare the tactics and strategies she uses, with the audience purposefully left to form their own opinions.”
The issue is now tied to broader regulatory action under the Online Safety Act, which took effect July 25. The law requires platforms to protect users—especially minors—from harmful or illegal material including content related to rape, bestiality, necrophilia, and child sexual abuse. Current rules do not ban pornography involving role-playing of children by adults.
