A new report from a UK parliamentary group calls for the criminalization of online camming and "e-pimping," days after the United Kingdom began enforcing a ban on certain pornography categories. The report, titled "Only Exploitation," specifically targets the multi-billion-dollar live camming sector and identifies OnlyFans as a platform of concern.

Calls for Criminalization of Camming and "E-Pimping"

On November 10, 2026, a report released by anti-pornography and anti-sex work parliamentarians in the United Kingdom advocated for the complete prohibition and criminalization of online camming and "e-pimping." This development follows the UK's recent enforcement of a ban on "taboo" pornography categories, which carries financial and criminal penalties.

The report, "Only Exploitation," was published by members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sexual and Commercial Sexual Exploitation. The group argues that the live camming industry should be outlawed within the United Kingdom and made a criminal offense. Labor MP Tracy Gilbert, chair of the APPG and a co-author of the report, stated in a November 10, 2026, article by British tabloid The Mirror that "The webcamming trade is a magnet for exploiters." Gilbert added that "These e-pimps style themselves as legitimate ‘managers’ and agencies, yet they exert sexual coercion and control over the women they recruit and profit from."

The 40-page report was published through U.K. Feminista, a sex worker exclusionary radical feminist (SWERF) NGO that serves as the group's secretariat organization. The report mentions OnlyFans 50 times. OnlyFans is owned by Fenix International Limited, located in Cheapside, London. The report identifies "five main harms perpetrated against women and children via webcamming platforms," including sexual coercion, intimate image abuse, security and privacy risks, offline sexual exploitation, and child sexual exploitation.

Gilbert further stated, "Webcamming platforms are a form of commercial sexual exploitation. The level of risk and severity of harms attached to their activities is unacceptable. We are urging the Government to confront online sex trafficking and sexual exploitation by outlawing e-pimping and preventing commercial online platforms from live-streaming pornography and prostitution."

Recommendations and Lack of Definition

The report, co-authored by Labor MP Tonia Antoniazzi, includes a set of recommendations. These recommendations include defining and outlawing "e-pimping" in national law and making it a criminal offense. The report also calls for criminal offenses for online platforms that "enable or profit from commercial live streaming of pornography and prostitution." Additionally, it recommends recognizing "e-pimping" as a "human trafficking" crime.

Another recommendation states that "Law enforcement and organisations with designated regulatory powers and functions must be able to access all content hosted and streamed by pornography platforms for investigative and enforcement purposes." The report also suggests that "enforcement against the distribution of illegal pornographic content, including via webcamming platforms, must be strengthened via improved monitoring, training and leadership."

However, the report does not provide a definition for "e-pimping." Under common law in both the United States and the United Kingdom, "e-pimping" is not defined and is not recognized as a crime or civil offense.

Industry Response and Broader Legislative Context

Alison Boden, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, expressed concern regarding the report's recommendations. Boden stated that she is "appalled at the recommendations of the report." She described the report as "nothing more than an anti-porn activist group’s press release on parliamentary letterhead." Boden added that "These self-proclaimed feminists don’t trust women to make their own choices; they don’t trust women to make their own decisions; so of course they didn’t include the voice of a single working [cam] performer." Boden warned that "this blatant call for censorship can’t be ignored at a time when U.K. lawmakers seem determined to police everything adults see and do online."

Live camming is recognized as a rapidly growing and profitable segment within online adult entertainment. It is also considered by some to be one of the safer forms of sex work. A 2018 study by researchers from the University of Leicester found that online sex work, including camming, enhances safety compared to in-person encounters. Millions of individuals globally work in online sex work professions, with the United States and the United Kingdom being two of the largest consumer markets for camming sites.

These proposals are part of a broader legislative trend in the UK. The United Kingdom began enforcing criminal prohibitions on "taboo" pornography categories in November 2025. Additionally, Members of Parliament are proposing other regulations related to sex work. These include a measure that would define publishing sex worker ads as "pimping" and another that could criminalize paying sex workers for webcam performances. An amendment to the U.K.'s Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on November 3, 2025, by House of Lords member Alison Levitt of the Labour Party, would make it illegal to possess a pornographic image depicting choking during sex. This ban would apply to possession, publishing, and even AI-generated images, with potential prison sentences of up to two years for possession and up to five years for publication. Other proposed amendments to the U.K. Crime Bill include measures that would retroactively allow porn performers to withdraw consent for their material to be published online, expand the definition of pimping to include facilitating prostitution, and criminalize paying for sexual activity with penalties of up to 10 years in prison.

Key Facts

  • A new report, "Only Exploitation," calls for the criminalization of online camming and "e-pimping" in the UK.
  • The report was released by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sexual and Commercial Sexual Exploitation on November 10, 2026.
  • Labor MP Tracy Gilbert, chair of the APPG, stated that "The webcamming trade is a magnet for exploiters."
  • The report explicitly mentions OnlyFans 50 times and identifies "five main harms" associated with webcamming platforms.
  • Recommendations include defining and outlawing "e-pimping" and making it a criminal offense for platforms enabling live-streamed pornography and prostitution.
  • "E-pimping" is not currently defined as a crime or civil offense under common law in the UK or US.
  • Alison Boden of the Free Speech Coalition criticized the report, calling it an "anti-porn activist group’s press release."
  • The UK began enforcing a ban on "taboo" pornography categories in November 2025, preceding this report.