In the United Kingdom , pornography is regulated by a variety of laws, regulations, judicial processes and voluntary schemes. Pornographic material generally has to be assessed by regulators or courts to determine its legality.
The Victorian pornographic tradition included French photographs, erotic prints and printed literature. As technology has advanced, pornography has taken diverse forms and become more widespread in society. In the twentieth century the production of pornographic magazines and films developed, and by the twenty-first century pornography was available by telephone, on television and via the internet. The UK has a markedly different tradition of pornography regulation from that found in most other Western countries, which legalised hardcore pornography during the s and s.
By contrast the UK was almost the only liberal democracy not to do so and the UK's obscenity laws, such as the Obscene Publications Act , [ a ] remained strict by European standards. Together they created an effective ban on the publication and distribution, though not possession, of many types of pornography. However, this legislation was found to be difficult to enforce due to the vagueness of the legal test of material that "depraves and corrupts".
Under the Obscene Publications Act, stocks of pornographic magazines are usually confiscated on the judgement of a magistrate rather than their publishers being prosecuted in a court of law.
The importation of "indecent" materials is prohibited by the Customs Consolidation Act. HM Customs and Excise impounded around 5, of such books and magazines in , and by the figure was over 2 million items. The distribution of indecent or obscene materials by post is forbidden under the Post Office Act. The sale of hardcore pornography remained illegal until the end of the 20th century, although the ownership of such material was not a criminal offence.
