The government will criminalise pornography that depicts acts of strangulation in recognition of “how dangerous online material is perpetuating the growing epidemic of violence against women and girls.” 

The announcement follows an independent porn review, which revealed that depictions of choking were “rife” on mainstream porn sites and had brought the act to the mainstream among young people. The review found online pornography has “effectively established choking during sex as a ‘sexual norm,’” and also encourages a “belief that strangling a partner during sex is ‘safe’ because it is believed to be non-fatal.” 

The possession and publication of such material will be a criminal offence under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament, as reported on the BBC. Online platforms would also be required to proactively detect and remove such material or face enforcement action through media regulator Ofcom.

The rise in choking becoming a ‘sexual norm’ more often than not is a risk for women and girls. Research into this has shown brain changes in women who have been repeatedly “choked” during sex, including markers for brain damage and disruptions in areas of the brain linked to depression and anxiety. It is these dangers that led to non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal suffocation becoming criminal offences as part of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Some 35 per cent of 16- to 34-year-olds say they have been strangled at least once during sex, and 27 per cent have strangled a partner, according to research from the Institute for Addressing Strangulation in 2025. What was once considered a kink among BDSM communities is now a mainstream act. 

There is, clearly, more work to be done when it comes to online pornography and safety. Just last year, it was revealed that UK search engines were promoting tutorials on how to create deepfake porn. A report found that Google, Microsoft’s Bing and Yahoo search—the most-used search engines in the UK according to Statista—were all displaying results for tutorials explaining how to create deepfake porn and use face-swapping technology. 

The government is, however, attempting to get a handle on violent content online through the new Online Safety Act, which was implemented on 25 July 2025. Its main aim is to stop young people from accessing ‘Primary Priority Content’—including pornography, with a notable update being that websites are now required to ask users to verify their age as over 18. Since this has come into action, Pornhub has revealed a 77 per cent drop in UK visitors. 

The steps being taken by the government are welcomed, with Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, recognising that choking during sex is “not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real-life consequences for women.” Cracking down on this rise will “protect women” and send a “clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.”

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, also welcomed the government’s decision to criminalise strangulation in pornography, calling it a “vital” step towards recognising the role violent porn plays in shaping attitudes. She added that experts have long warned about the “normalisation” of violence against women and girls in online content.

“There is no such thing as safe strangulation,” she said. “Women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.”

The amendment was pledged in June. The government said at the time that it built on existing laws, including the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.