'Takes away our safest option': Adult creators react to law banning buying custom content
A new law in Sweden that makes it illegal to buy custom adult content will take effect on July 1. But the content creators say it makes their profession more dangerous. The new updated legislation makes it so anyone who purchases online sexual content (sexual acts performed remotely with no physical contact) or operates a website that makes it easier to get in touch with adult content creators could be imprisoned for up to one year.
Impact of the Law
Sweden’s updated laws are the latest in a series of restrictions to digital porn. Other examples include France's age verification law that saw Pornhub temporarily stop operations there, the US’ Take it Down Act, and the EU’s directive to ban sexual deepfakes by 2027.
Creators' Response
Swedish adult content creators told Euronews Next that the government should reconsider the new law because it could push some of them to more unsafe types of content creation. Amanda Breden, a Swedish online adult content creator, expressed concerns about the impact on her business model which includes a subscription-based channel and custom content requests through direct messages.
Industry Concerns
Advocates and adult content creators say there’s a general misunderstanding of the rules that platforms already have in place to curb dangerous sexual content. OnlyFans, for example, outlines its content moderation policy that includes the use of human and automated filters to ensure compliance.
Enforcement Challenges
Advocacy groups are also concerned about how the laws would be enforced. The European Sex Workers Rights Alliance highlighted risks associated with potential digital surveillance and privacy breaches for vulnerable groups. If the government is concerned about safety, some suggest alternatives like increasing the age limit to access adult content sites.
If the government is concerned about safety, Breeden said the company could instead increase the age limit to 25 from 18 to access adult content sites like OnlyFans.
Browse today's tags
