The BBFC censored 35% of all R18 DVDs submitted in 2016
1st January 2018
From the BBFC Annual Report covering 2016
In 2016 there was a decrease in the number of explicit pornographic works submitted to the BBFC. The 476 works in 2016 represents an a 19% decrease on 2015, ending the trend of year-on-year increases that had taken place
over the preceding three years.
The proportion of R18works subject to cuts in 2016 was 35%, an increase of 22% over the previous year. This continues to reflect the BBFC's strict policies on material which combines sexual detail with activity which is
illegal, harmful, abusive or involves a lack of consent or the infliction of pain or injury. [The BBFC have misleadingly omitted some of the more trivial reasons for cuts from this list, such as use of the word teen, dialogue
references to incest, squirting and gagging].
The amount of R18s censored by the BBFC over 2013 and 2014 was steady with about 15% of all submissions suffering cuts, mostly for inane reasons.
However the first quarter of 2015 sees this percentage suffering cuts fall to 11%. Maybe a lack of data, but maybe there is a slight easing off on the censorship of R18s.
The R18 monthly cuts stats 2015:
January: 8 R18s cut out of 59 (14%)
February: 5 R18s cut out of 47 (11%)
March: 4 R18s cut out of 48 (8%)
Total for 2014: 85 R18s cut out of 543 (11%). An average of 51 R18 DVDs released each month
The R18 monthly cuts stats 2014:
January: 6 R18s cut out of 38 (15%)
February: 7 R18s cut out of 49 (14%)
March: 10 R18s cut out of 45 (22%)
April: 8 R18s cut out of 52 (15%)
May: 7 R18s cut out of 42 (17%)
June: 7 R18s cut out of 42 (17%)
July: 6 R18s cut out of 51 (12%)
August: 5 R18s cut out of 34 (15%)
September: 7 R18s cut out of 41 (17%)
October: 4 R18s cut out of 51 (8%)
November: 6 R18s cut out of 56 (11%)
December: 9 R18s cut out of 42 (21%)
Total for 2014: 82 R18s cut out of 543 (15%). An average of 45 R18 DVDs released each month
The R18 monthly cuts stats 2013:
January: 7 R18s cut out of 40 (18%)
February: 6 R18s cut out of 46 (13%)
March: 5 R18s cut out of 41 (12%)
April: 9 R18s cut out of 55 (16%)
May: 2 R18s cut out of 35 (5%)
June: 7 R18s cut out of 35 (20%)
July: 4 R18s cut out of 36 (11%)
August: 6 R18s cut out of 43 (14%)
September: 6 R18s cut out of 53 (11%)
October: 4 R18s cut out of 51 (22%)
November 8 R18s cut out of 42 (19%)
December 7 R18s cut out of 40 (18%)
Total for 2013: 78 R18s cut out of 516 (15%). An average of 43 R18 DVDs released each month
Previous yearly totals
Total for 2012: 101 R18s cut out of 555 (18%). An average of 46 R18 DVDs released each month
Total for 2011: 85 R18s cut out of 625 (14%). An average of 52 R18 DVDs released each month
Total for 2010: 191 R18s cut out of 1070 (18%) *
* The BBFC re-assigned all video certificates passed during the preceding months when the Video Records Act was in limbo, to a January 2010 date when the new VRA was back in force.
In 2016 there was a decrease in the number of explicit pornographic works submitted to the BBFC. The 476 works in 2016 represents an a 19% decrease on 2015, ending the trend of year-on-year increases that had taken place
over the preceding three years.
