U.K. Government Moves to Ban Choking in Porn

The British government has announced plans to make pornography depicting choking, strangulation, or suffocation illegal as part of broader efforts to combat violence against women and girls. They consider it a form of rough sex that they want to see completely removed in all forms from adult content.

The proposal would amend the Crime and Policing Bill currently moving through Parliament. If approved, both the possession and distribution of such material would become a criminal offense.

The proposed ban differs from earlier restrictions imposed by financial companies on adult platforms. In recent years, major sites such as OnlyFans moved to prohibit choking or strangulation-themed content after pressure from payment processors including Visa and Mastercard.

Those changes were driven by financial compliance rules rather than criminal law. The U.K. proposal would go further by making the possession and distribution of such material a criminal offense, shifting enforcement from banking regulations to the legal system.

Officials say the change follows a review that found depictions of choking are widespread across mainstream pornography platforms and may contribute to the normalization of the behavior among young people.

Under the proposed changes, the offense would be designated a “priority offense” under the Online Safety Act. That classification places it in the same enforcement category as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content. Online platforms would be required to detect and remove such material proactively or face regulatory action from Ofcom.

The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act is a sweeping law passed in 2023 that requires major internet platforms to take stronger action against harmful and illegal content online. The legislation places legal duties on social media companies, search engines, and content-hosting services to detect and remove certain types of material and to protect users, particularly children, from harmful content. The law is enforced by the communications regulator Ofcom, which has the power to investigate companies, issue large fines, and, in extreme cases, restrict services that fail to comply with safety requirements.

The government says the new measure is intended to address what it describes as the normalization of violent sexual behavior online.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said viewing and sharing pornography depicting strangulation contributes to a culture of violence and abuse and must be addressed through stronger legal tools.

The proposed amendment builds on findings from an independent review of pornography led by Gabby Bertin. Her report concluded that choking was “rife” in online pornographic content and warned that the trend was influencing sexual behavior among teenagers.

Bertin welcomed the government’s action but said further reforms may be necessary. “It’s only the beginning,” she said, arguing that other forms of violent pornography remain legal online despite being prohibited in offline media.

Advocacy groups supporting the reform say the measure could help counter harmful messaging about sexual behavior.

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, described choking as a serious form of violence often linked to domestic abuse. Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, called the proposal a “vital step” toward tackling the normalization of violence in digital media.

However, some campaigners question whether the new measure will be enforced effectively.

Fiona Mackenzie, founder of the group We Can’t Consent To This, noted that existing legislation already criminalizes some forms of extreme pornography. She cited the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and the Obscene Publications Act 1959 as examples of laws that, in theory, restrict such material but have seen limited enforcement.

Content creators aren't happy about this new rule. They argue that when choking is consensual, it can be incredibly erotic. Sadly, that doesn't seem to matter to regulators, so it's unlikely any new choking content will be created, and many past scenes will have to be pulled, so you'd better enjoy it now while you still can.

The amendment must still pass through Parliament before becoming law. If adopted, the measure would strengthen enforcement powers under the Online Safety framework and require platforms to actively monitor and remove prohibited content.