Porn featuring choking to be banned under new UK law

Under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled at Westminster yesterday, it will become a criminal offence to possess or publish pornographic content featuring choking.

A separate amendment will also give victims of intimate image abuse more time to seek justice, extending the prosecution time limit from six months to three years. The government said the change would improve access to justice for those who need it the most by removing barriers that deter victims from reporting crimes.

The move follows recommendations from an independent review into pornography, commissioned by former prime minister Rishi Sunak and led by Gabby Bertin, which found that online pornography had helped normalise strangulation as a sexual practice.

Medical research has consistently shown that strangulation is inherently dangerous, with even brief oxygen deprivation capable of causing lasting brain injury. Studies have identified neurological changes in women subjected to repeated choking during sex, including brain damage markers and disruptions linked to anxiety and depression.

Non-fatal strangulation and suffocation were criminalised under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, following concerns that offenders often escaped punishment due to the lack of visible injuries.

The latest amendment will make pornographic material depicting strangulation a “priority offence”, requiring adult websites and tech platforms to take proactive steps – such as automated detection tools, stricter moderation policies, or content filters – to prevent UK users from viewing such material. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to £18 million from Ofcom.

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, welcomed the move. He said: “While consenting adults have the right to explore their sexuality safely and freely, we must recognise the serious risks posed by unregulated online content, especially to children and young people. Strangulation is a serious form of violence, often used in domestic abuse to control, silence, or terrify. When it’s portrayed in pornography, particularly without context, it can send confusing and harmful messages to young people.”

Victims and women’s safety minister Alex Davies-Jones said online misogyny had “devastating real-life consequences”. She added: “Every day, women and girls have their lives turned upside down by cowards who hide behind screens to abuse and exploit them. This government will not stand by while women are violated online and victimised by violent pornography which is allowed to normalise harm. We are sending a strong message that dangerous and sexist behaviour will not be tolerated.”

A 2020 government review found “substantial evidence of an association between the use of pornography and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours towards women.” The same year, a British Board of Film Classification survey found most children had encountered violent pornography that they found disturbing, with some later mimicking what they had seen online.