Porn showing choking or incest to be banned from early November, government says
The move follows a review into pornography regulation in 2025 by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin
Starting on November 6, it will be illegal in England and Wales to possess or distribute certain types of online pornography. This includes material depicting sexual activity involving individuals pretending to be under 16 years old, as well as depictions of choking, suffocation, or sexual activity between certain family members.
The government's ban aims to send a clear message that extreme and violent content that can lead to real-life harm is not acceptable. Baroness Gabby Bertin, who led the independent review into porn regulation, emphasized that the law would send a strong signal to companies hosting porn and society at large. Non-fatal strangulation is already an offence if consent is not present, but its depiction online is currently not illegal.
The new offences carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for publication, and up to three or two years imprisonment for possession, depending on the nature of the content. Experts have welcomed the new laws, but cautioned that it remains to be seen how swiftly tech platforms and regulators will act to remove and mitigate the spread of violating material.
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