UK TO BAN PORNOGRAPHY DEPICTING STRANGULATION FROM NOVEMBER 6

The government has announced that pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation, incest or role-play involving adults posing as children under 16 will become illegal in the UK from 6 November. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the move forms part of the government's stated commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. Davies-Jones said it would be illegal to possess or publish content showing strangulation or suffocation, sexual activity between people who are related or pretending to be related, or adults roleplaying as under-16s. She said the change was not intended to criminalise "harmless sexual preferences" but argued that pornography can shape perceptions of healthy relationships, particularly among young people. She said content that "normalises, or even glorifies, violence against women" risks blurring the line with what is acceptable in real life.

The announcement follows cross-party pressure over the potential impact of such content on women and girls, according to the government. The recommendations stem from a review into pornography regulation led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, which reported in 2025. Baroness Bertin said the ban came "not a moment too soon", having previously said strangulation in pornography had become "totally normalised". Her review found that pornography depicting women being choked could have "devastating" real-world consequences. It also highlighted what she described as "disturbing" role-play content, including depictions of incest and adults portraying children.

The new restrictions are due to take effect on 6 November, according to the government's announcement. Officials have not set out further legislative steps beyond the implementation date. The measures were developed in response to Baroness Bertin's review findings and the stated aim of reducing violence against women and girls. No additional categories of content beyond strangulation, suffocation, incest-themed material and under-16 roleplay have been named as part of this phase of restrictions.