Lynn Perry, Chief Executive of Barnardo's, said: "The Crime & Policing Act is a pivotal moment.
“Today, significant and long-overdue changes on online pornography come into force. These will not only better protect children, but also send a clear message that sexual violence, exploitation and the sexualisation of children have no place in our society, online or offline.
"The new law criminalises extreme online pornography that mimics child sexual abuse, incest and step‑incest, depicts sexual violence such as strangulation, or exploits emerging technologies like AI ‘nudification’ apps. It also establishes a basic minimum standard that everyone depicted is over 18 and has given ongoing consent for their images and videos to be shared. Much of this harmful content was previously legal online but illegal offline – so today closes a dangerous gap we have long called for.
“Barnardo’s has long said that extreme online pornography harms children by distorting their understanding of healthy relationships, sex and consent and normalising abuse. We hope this marks the start of a major shift – we will continue to work with children, families and government to make sure these laws are effectively implemented and that every child can grow up safe, respected and protected.”