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The basic history is that up to around the year 2000 hard core porn was illegal in the UK.
However as like in China today you could go in many UK shops and buy it under the counter. Most was pirated.
Then around the year 2000 a porn firm took the UK to EU court stating that EU law means that you have to be able to the same products in all eu countries (or somthing along that line anyway).
As such the UK backed down.
But being jerks as the government often is they stated that it must be R18, and can only be sold in licenced sex shops. It made r18 films expensive.
Though you could legally order them outside the UK and have them sent in.
Then came the internet.
After many years of no problems, suddenly the UK government desided that the net needed to be censored.
So along came ATVOD.
They made the rules up as they went along.
They were shut down at the end of 2015.
Ofcom then took over.
The problem is:
(1) Everyone uses free porn tubes. At most you can block them if they do not comply. However this would be unpopular with the UK public.
(2) No demand for this. While the Daily mail may post the odd scare story. Most people now (unlike 20 years ago) are happy to admit to watching porn.
(3) You screw over UK firms and it gives non UK firms an advantage.
But, in truth we have just got a brand new government.
So will Mrs T May feel the need to keep this going, or just let it slide away?
Its not a vote winner and it could loose votes.