‘You can’t believe how bad it is’: UK peer demands ‘Minister for Porn’ to regulate online content

“They were screengrabs showing little girls… and massive, grown men grabbing little girls’ throats,” Bertin said, as per The Guardian. “Unless you see it, you can’t believe how bad it is.”

Kyle, appearing shocked and upset, turned away. This, Bertin says, is the reaction she often gets. But turning away, she argues, won’t solve anything.

Since December 2023, the Conservative peer has been leading an independent review of online pornography—commissioned by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—and has emerged as one of the most vocal figures demanding urgent regulation of what children can see online.

Minister for Porn

In February, Bertin released her report, recommending 32 actions to address the deluge of violent and degrading content online.

Among them: a ban on strangulation in pornographic content, which the government has now accepted. But she wants more than policy tweaks—she wants a structural shift.

The government needs to appoint a minister for porn, she recommends.

“You can’t leave the pitch on this stuff… because you’re worried about being accused of being too strait-laced.”

Her call has resonated with others, including Labour MPs. Despite political differences, there’s growing consensus that the internet cannot remain a lawless domain when it comes to harmful sexual content.

Loopholes in UK law

Under current British law, pornography shown in cinemas or sold on DVD faces strict content rules. Online platforms, however, remain loosely governed.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently urged the government to extend its monitoring role to include online platforms.

Though Ofcom has secured commitments from several adult websites to improve age verification under the Online Safety Act, serious concerns remain about content that promotes abuse, degradation, and misogyny.

Bertin makes it clear that her concern is not about policing adult sexual freedom.

“Consenting adults should be able to do what they want. But restricting people from seeing a woman being choked, called a whore, and having several men stamp on her… is not ending someone’s sexual freedom.”

(With inputs from The Guardian, The Independent)