Peers vote to ban pornography depicting sex acts between stepfamily members

[SerendipityJane]

Explains why I slept so well last night.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/10/porngraphy-depicting-sex-acts-between-stepfamily-members-banned-in-uk

I had no idea this was a thing, I must live a sheltered life.

Is that the most pressing problem in society today?

I am glad the House of Lords have voted this way, even though I suspect the alleged step families are nothing of the kind and it is just a marketing tool by porn.

No, not the most pressing, but it's still a problem that's better off sorted.

Mmm. It’s aimed at the underage, or those who have grown up together I guess.

I think it’s really important. Young boys watch this stuff and imagine them getting ideas about step sisters

Good.

The porn choking ban was absolutely right. This seems a little surprising honestly as I wouldn't have put this in the same always harmful category. I have acquired some male stepbrothers as an adult when a parent remarried who are quite good looking. We were all adults and single when we met. I knew it would be a bit scandalous to ever flirt or date them but they were also not really ever my siblings in anything but name. I could see this being a harmless setup for a porn fantasy not too dissimilar to the princess and the stable boy type of taboo you get in romance novels.
I can envision some potentially harmful 'step' storylines too - but I would have thought there were more precise issues with these videos such as forceful or unwanted acts that should probably be the thing they are banning?
I don't have strong feelings one way or another on the issue, but this feels a bit lazy somehow as legislation.

Yes but the issue is that they make them look young. And for some reason it’s extremely popular

The article says: "Once the law comes into effect, anyone found to posses or publish pornography which shows incest between family members, or sex between step- or foster-relations where one person is pretending to be under-18, will be criminalised"

Which to me, implies that step-family pornography will only be illegal if one person is pretending to be under the age of 18? Personally, I say ban it all, but obviously society would kick up too much of a fuss over being forced to use their imaginations 🙄

Oh I see. Then I still don't understand why the ban isn't on any porn showing someone pretending to be under 18? Why is it wrong if its an actress pretending to be an underage step daughter but fine if they are pretending to be an underage babysitter? It's just a weird distinction to me.

Good im pleased. I hope they carry on in this direction.

The article says: "Once the law comes into effect, anyone found to posses or publish pornography which shows incest between family members,

One does find oneself idly wondering how they'd know ? Presumably birth certificates all round ? Would it be knowing incest, or any incest ?

Incest refers to sex between blood relations.

Step-anything is not blood related. Ergo not incest.

I think this has been conflated with the under-18 thing. Of course no porn should depict or portray ANYONE under 18. But amongst non-blood-related adults I can’t see where the moral outrage is coming from.

Incest refers to sex between blood relations.

But how would you know, just from a video ?

Glad to know the Lords has so much free time to waste on trivia.

They are marketed/titled as ‘step brother/step daughter etc’ but it does all seem a bit vague.

I agree with pornography imitating or marketed as under 18 being criminal.

In general, I would prefer the lords to be discussing the genuine issue of communities of close blood relatives marrying and having children that is putting excessive pressure on the nhs and social care for preventable known health conditions.

if its because its labeled eg on certain sites as step mom etc, how is changing the fictional names to eg Mary mature mom and Harry the fridge fixer etc ?

I mean it’s a start. Maybe just ban the bloody porn?!

There is a further amendment banning that as well, which seems to make the step-family under 18 role play redundant but I assume there’s a reason.

“The first of these vital measures will ban anyone from possessing or publishing harmful pornography that shows incest between family members, and sex between step or foster relations where one person is pretending to be under 18.
“A further amendment will criminalise the publication and possession of pornography where an adult is roleplaying as a child. “

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-crackdown-on-harmful-pornography

Good. It's an excuse to get off to real incest. You add the word 'step' and suddenly it's fine to masturbate to imagining fucking your sister or daughter.

Can’t see this being enforced at all.

I imagine enforcement will be pretty impossible. Looking forward to the first test case.

So, man put on sex offenders register and possibly imprisoned for watching say a 19 year old woman and a 40 year old man having sex, because the woman has pigtails or something? What exactly would qualify legally as 'pretending to be under 18'? Surely in court, anything short of the actress saying something along the lines of 'but I'm only 15' would be impossible to prosecute? Does any porn anywhere do that now? I doubt it.

School uniform maybe?

@Ncforthis2267 I think the first case brought under the new law - assuming it comes into force - will be quite interesting. Also, given that so much porn is made overseas how on earth will it be enforced?