United Kingdom bans violent online pornography depicting strangulation

The United Kingdom government has announced a ban on online pornography depicting violent acts, including strangulation and incest, which will come into effect on 6 November 2025. The new legislation specifically targets material showing non-fatal strangulation, incestuous acts, and adult actors role-playing as minors. This policy shift follows a comprehensive review that highlighted the increasing normalization of choking within adult content and the significant potential for harm it poses to viewers, particularly young people who may be influenced by these depictions.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones emphasized that the primary goal of the law is to combat the spread of violent content that distorts perceptions of healthy and consensual relationships. While non-fatal strangulation is already categorized as a criminal offense in physical interactions without consent, these new regulations extend those legal protections to the digital sphere. The government has warned that offenders could face substantial prison sentences for the possession or publication of such prohibited material.

Legal experts have expressed support for the move but have cautioned that the effectiveness of the ban will rely heavily on the responsiveness of technology companies. Platforms will be required to implement robust enforcement measures to identify and remove the restricted content quickly. As the November deadline approaches, the UK government intends for these measures to create a safer online environment and align digital content standards with existing laws against physical sexual violence.