Durham Uni Professor calls for tougher action on extreme pornography
We're hearing warnings that widely available extreme porn is normalising sexual violence against women and girls
Widely available extreme pornography on mainstream platforms is eroticising masculine dominance and normalising sexual violence, according to leading law professor Clare McGlynn from Durham University.
Professor McGlynn, who is a leading expert on violence against women and girls, says this content is driven by the algorithms of powerful platforms with business models that push more extreme porn to keep us engaged.
She is now calling on the Government to take greater steps to regulate pornography.
Clare has written a new book, ‘Exposed: The Rise of Extreme Porn and How We Fight Back’, which examines how porn is now more accessible than ever with mainstream sites dominated by racist, misogynistic, and sexually violent material, described as ‘patriarchal porn’.
Clare tells us it shows that with minimal moderation, the platforms don’t just host it, they push ever more extreme content into view, whether users want it or not.
With around half of British men watching porn regularly, Clare argues that the consequences are far-reaching.
She said: “An entire generation is learning about sex, not from experience or trust, but from Pornhub. Boys and men are being exposed to sexual norms rooted in misogyny, racism and coercion, with aggression against, and humiliation of, women and girls presented as normal and even desirable.
“The extreme content on these easily accessible mainstream platforms eroticises inequality and normalises violence against women and girls. This affects us all, even if you’re not watching it, as these messages seep into all aspects of our lives.
“At the same time, the rise of non-consensual pornography, including deepfake content generated using AI, is causing significant harm to women and girls.”
Clare specialises in the legal regulation of online abuse and extreme pornography and has worked on law reform changes over many years alongside charities and activists. This has included successful campaigns to criminalise “rape porn” and pioneering new laws on image-based sexual abuse and sexually explicit deepfakes. The law on deepfakes was rapidly introduced after millions of women were targeted in the X/Grok scandal.
In her research, she has found that one-in-eight titles on mainstream pornography sites describes sexual violence.
Clare said: “Patriarchal porn is not hidden or niche, and it’s shaping our culture, our politics, and our freedoms in endlessly negative ways. If we are serious about sexual freedom, we must confront the realities of what is being promoted and consumed.
“This is not about all porn and it’s not about being ‘anti-sex’ or ‘sex-negative’. My approach is sex-positive: I want a world of porn without the patriarchy where women’s consent and sexual pleasure are central, not erased.
“Things will not change on their own. If we care about equality, about the freedom of women and girls, we have to fight back. This means confronting and taking down the patriarchy and the porn industry.”