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For those of us old enough to remember, one of the biggest scandals of the 1990s was the theft and publication of a sex tape filmed by Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson while on their honeymoon.

It was the most infamous example of non-consensual porn in recent memory, so much so that three decades later, the scandal has become the topic of its own Netflix series.

A lot has changed in the last 30 years, and not for the better.

When mobile phones with cameras and videos replaced the handycam, sexting became widespread, and the publication of once-consensual images after a relationship breakdown—known as “revenge porn”—became the new frontier of non-consensual porn.

Then there was the phenomenon of workers in health and aged care settings taking and sharing intimate images of patients and residents in order to make fun of them.

This slow progression of attacks on the dignity of the human person has been accelerated with the advent of artificial intelligence.

Deepfakes

One of the most diabolical “gifts” of AI has been the ability to use it to create deepfake sexually explicit images and audio of a person, even if they have never made a sneaky home video, much less been anywhere near a porn studio.

In an attempt to address this growing problem, the New South Wales Government last week introduced a bill that would introduce a new crime of creating AI-generated pornographic material of a person without their consent. It is a welcome move, adding to laws against revenge porn and the sharing of intimate images taken in health care or aged care settings.

The bill, if passed, will make the use of AI to create non-consensual pornographic audio, photos and video a criminal offence, punishable by three years’ imprisonment.

It is a good thing, and I commend the government for acting.

However, the incremental bans on non-consensual pornography ignore the simple truth that, on some level, all pornography is non-consensual.

Lasting Harms

The bottomless market for pornography and the ability of the industry to prey on vulnerable young women to create it means that many end up creating pornography do so because of things like fraud or human trafficking, financial or emotional coercion, or mental health issues that impair their ability to consent.

This isn’t the case for everyone, I know, with some women insisting that being paid to create porn is an indicator of women’s empowerment and sexual liberation; their freedom from prudish and puritanical attitudes that see recreational sex as wrong and sinful.

Others who are making a motza on their OnlyFans websites would similarly argue that this is just as legitimate as any other type of employment.

But even if they consent to their own role in the creation of porn, I’m sure that none of them appreciate, much less desire, the effects porn has in our culture: from the havoc it wreaks on so many relationships, to its distorting effect on the psychosexual development of so many young men to its contribution to violent sexual crime, I would be certain that this isn’t part of the ‘consent’ given.

What’s more, I am sure that at least some women will grow to regret this part of their journey, but there is no ability to withdraw consent once you’ve given it: the internet lasts forever. What might have been an exercise of freedom in a particular moment can turn into non-consensual porn at any stage. After all, no girl grows up wanting to be a porn star.

Some might argue that this isn’t unique to the creation of pornography. After all, every decision has consequences that can shape our lives, and sometimes we just have to live with the outcome of our mistakes. But it seems to me that the insidious and widespread effects of porn and the knowledge that once created, it will always be “out there” puts this in a different category to other dumb and regrettable choices.

Recognising the harm of non-consensual porn is a good start, but it will be a drop in the bucket until we have the courage to collectively face the harm of all porn.

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Republished with thanks to The Catholic Weekly. Image courtesy of Adobe.