Clare McGlynn | Lightnews

Prof Clare McGlynn

@claremcglynn.bsky.social

990 followers 170 following 150 posts

Professor of Law, Durham Uni and expert on violence against women and girls, particularly: #SexualViolence #metaverse #porn #cyberflashing #OnlineAbuse #ImageBasedSexualAbuse.
www.ClareMcGlynn.com
@McGlynnClare on the platform that looks much the same .. more

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Clare Mary Smith McGlynn is a Professor of Law at Durham University in the UK and leading expert on violence against women and girls and gender equality. She advises governments, civil society and social media platforms regarding online and image-based sexual abuse, and works closely with survivors to strengthen the law. In 2020, she was appointed an Honorary KC in recognition of her role influencing law reform and advancing equality. In 2024 His Majesty The King appointedMcGlynn to the Judicial Appointments Commission, which is responsible for selecting judges in England and Wales. McGlynn has also served as a member of the UK Parliament's Independent Expert Panel, hearing appeals in cases of sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment against Members of Parliament.  .. more

Political science 36%

Law 27%

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Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Feb 27

Incest porn? It's more common and harmful than you think.
My comment on the need to regulate this content and remove it online - as recommended in the Porn Review published today.
theconversation.com/why-incest-p...

Why incest porn is more common and harmful than you think

New proposals recognise role incest porn plays in normalising and trivialising child sexual abuse.

theconversation.com

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 2d

Though even in those contexts, important to emphasise that consent does not protect you from harm including damage to brain functioning.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 2d

Article claims new law on sexual choking-strangulation targets 'hardcore BDSM'. But main concern is material on mainstream sites portraying it as safe & entirely lacking the safety protocols/consent of BDSM @arielledomb.bsky.social @newstatesman1913.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...

The choking porn ban is not enough

The government announced that it will prohibit "vile and dangerous" strangulation pornography

www.newstatesman.com

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 4d

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

'Choking' in porn has become the new normal. Here’s why a new UK law banning it is so vital | Clare McGlynn

Strangulation during sex damages young women’s brain health and breeds deep gender inequality. But the real test will be its enforcement, says Clare McGlynn, a professor of law at Durham University

www.theguardian.com

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 4d

My comment in @theguardian.com on why the new law requiring porn and social media platforms to remove choking/strangulation content is very welcome.

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

Shami's Speakeasy @shamisspeakeasy.bsky.social · 4d

"..all the training data is around women's bodies. So if you put a man's image into the model, it would simply produce a man's head on a woman's body." Listen to the full episode with Baroness Charlotte Own podfollow.com/shamis-speak...

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 19d

My dream today? That all the really clever and creative people working for the likes of Prnhub worked instead for regulators and government, using their talents and ideas to imagine and realise a world without abusive, misogynist, racist prn that was normalising sexual violence.

a cartoon character says someday in front of a tent

ALT: a cartoon character says someday in front of a tent

media.tenor.com

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 19d

Prnhub's PR as impressive as ever, with the media just lapping it up.
No challenge to Prnhub's claims it's content is legal & consensual. What about all the sleep prn (aka rape) still there? It's T&C prohibit 'depicting' children, a cursory look finds a lot.
It's the content that matters #despair

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19d

The owner of adult websites such as Pornhub told the Financial Times that traffic to the site dropped by more than three-quarters after tougher checks were put in place on.ft.com/3WSAoIa

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19d

The owner of adult websites such as Pornhub told the Financial Times that traffic to the site dropped by more than three-quarters after tougher checks were put in place on.ft.com/3WSAoIa

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 25d

Honoured to be part of this new Advisory Board with @cdteu.org #AI #regulation #freedom

CDT Europe @cdteu.org · 25d

📢 Today, CDT Europe is proud to announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of #technology, policy, and democracy in Europe.

👇🏻 Read more on our website: cdt.org/insights/cdt...

CDT Europe Announces Inaugural Advisory Council

The Advisory Council Membersto announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of technology, policy, and de...

cdt.org

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

CDT Europe @cdteu.org · 25d

CDT Europe Announces Inaugural Advisory Council

cdt.org

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

What could possibly go wrong 🧐

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

Done an 'official' post - but actually now sharing this 😀
Can't emphasise how exciting it is for your ordinary academic to have their book featured like this - might even be that it's not just libraries that buy it😀
#Exposed 25% off for pre-orders this week
www.waterstones.com/book/exposed...

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

Things won’t change on their own.
To reclaim sexual freedom, equality and democracy, we must confront and regulate patriarchal porn.
Exposed: The Rise of Extreme Porn and How We Fight Back — out in May 2026.
#Exposed #Feminism #OnlineSafety #PatriarchalPorn #LawReform

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

Exposed turns the conventional arguments about porn and freedom on their head.
The same liberal values used to resist regulation — autonomy, liberty, privacy, free speech — are exactly the values that demand it.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

Too often, when I speak about this, I’m called “anti-sex” or “sex-negative.”
But there is nothing sex-positive for women in patriarchal porn.
My approach is sex-positive — I want a world of porn without the patriarchy, where consent and women’s pleasure are central.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

I argue that this is not just any porn, it's patriarchal porn — porn that eroticises inequality and blurs consent.
It’s algorithmically promoted, endlessly accessible, and shaping our culture, politics, and freedoms in negative ways.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · 27d

🔊New Book Announcement *Exposed: The Rise of Extreme Porn and How We Fight Back* pre-order now 🙂
Aims to spark debate about the misogynistic, racist & sexually violent nature of mainstream porn.
Pre-order discount 14-17 Oct: 25% off with OCTOBER25 at Waterstones
www.waterstones.com/book/exposed...

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

Institute For Addressing Strangulation @institutefas.bsky.social · Oct 10

Excited to announce that Kate Brown, Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS will be speaking at our conference Children and Young People: Could strangulation be ‘choking’ future generations?

Excited to hear from her as well as MP Jess Phillips

Book your place here! ifas.org.uk/ifas-confere...

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

Durham University @durham.ac.uk · Oct 7

Professor @claremcglynn.bsky.social from our Law School played a key role in a deepfake sexual abuse case.

Her expert evidence helped secure a major penalty of over £220,000, recognising the serious harm caused by sharing fake explicit images.

Read more: durham.ac.uk/news-events/...

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Sep 25

Deeply troubling article minimising the nature and extent of legal actions against the Tate brothers for rape and sexual assault. Peddling inaccuracies as well to bolster the argument is never a good look. www.theguardian.com/news/2025/se...

Women allegedly abused by Andrew Tate decry ‘misleading’ Spectator article

Complaint sent to Ipso over interview with ‘misogynist influencer’ and brother in Michael Gove-edited magazine

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Tariq Modood, Steve Peers, Tom Griffin , and 4 more Tariq Modood, Steve Peers, Tom Griffin, Clare McGlynn, Aoife O’Donoghue, Daniel Wincott, Colm O’Cinneíde

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · Sep 12

The news of Conor Gearty's death has just been announced and I'm not coping. He was a mentor and the pole star in my constitutional thinking. He was also a great friend and fantastic fun to be around. I'm heartbroken for Aoife and the children.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 28

ChatGPT actually said to a suicidal teenager: 'would you want to write them [his parents] a letter? If you want, I'll help you with it'
ChatGPT both suggests a suicide note and offers to write it.
We could prevent this. It's not inevitable. It's a deliberate design choice.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Want to know more about ChatGPT being sued for encouraging and assisting a teenager's suicide?
Here's the full legal submissions from the parents
#TriggerWarning it reproduces some of the chats where ChatGPT gave advice about different suicide methods

www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/u...

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Intimate images are being shared on mainstream media, against the law in Serbia, to shame and silence women - and no action is being taken.
Every day there are new stories about the extent of image abuse against women and girls #darktimes
balkaninsight.com/2025/08/28/i...

Reposted by Clare McGlynn

Stephen Burrell @thedailypanda.bsky.social · Aug 25

On #NowandMen, @claremcglynn.bsky.social argues that the online world doesn't just reflect sexism & misogyny in society more broadly. From 'nudify' AI apps to strangulation in pornography it *turbocharges* it, because that suits the business model of the tech companies: nowandmen.net/episode/clar...

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 22

#MaybeTomorrow #HopeSo

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 19

It's this content that we need to remove from mainstream online p0rn as it is legitimising and normalising abusive and non-consensual practices. The Report does call for such action. My point is that this gets drowned out by the predominant focus on age verification and children's access.

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 19

The Report also identifies
➡️ more than half (58%) of had seen porn depicting strangulation
➡️ 44% had seen depictions of sex while asleep - otherwise known as rape p0rn
➡️ and they were not searching for this content

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 19

It's the content of p0rn that's the real problem - if the content was not racist, misogynistic and sexually violent, there would be far less concern re children's access.
That's what we need to focus on.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Children’s exposure to porn higher than before 2023 Online Safety Act, poll finds

Children’s commissioner for England says findings show little had improved despite new law and tech firms’ promises

www.theguardian.com

Prof Clare McGlynn @claremcglynn.bsky.social · Aug 9

"This is not misogyny by accident, it is by design"
My comment on the latest example of AI tech being released without a care about its adverse uses and impacts, particularly on women and girls.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Pornographic Taylor Swift deepfakes generated by Musk's Grok AI

Grok Imagine's

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