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The UK government is moving to outlaw online pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation as part of a broader initiative to combat violence against women and girls.
This decision follows a review that revealed depictions of choking were “rife” on mainstream pornography platforms, contributing to the normalization of the act among younger audiences.
Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently under parliamentary review, will criminalize both the possession and distribution of such material.
The proposed legislation will also mandate online platforms to actively detect and remove content of this nature, or face potential enforcement actions by Ofcom, the media regulator.
According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), this change will designate choking in pornography as a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, aligning it with offenses such as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated: “Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous. Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society.”
“We’re also holding tech companies to account and making sure they stop this content before it can spread,” she added.
Earlier this year, Conservative peer Baroness Bertin cautioned against the “total absence of government scrutiny” concerning the pornography industry.
Her independent review, released in February, referenced an instance of a 14-year-old boy inquiring of a teacher how to choke girls during sex, and warned that individuals emulating such behavior “may face devastating consequences.”
The government committed in June to introducing amendments to the Bill that would explicitly prohibit the depiction of choking in online pornography.
A 2019 BBC survey indicated that 38% of women aged 18-39 had experienced choking during sexual activity.
Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, expressed her support for the government’s amendment, noting that choking can convey “confusing and harmful messages” to women regarding expectations in intimate relationships.
“Strangulation is a serious form of violence, often used in domestic abuse to control, silence or terrify,” she stated.
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, described the amendments as “a vital step” in addressing the normalization of violence in online content.
“There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory,” she said.
“Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.”
However, Fiona Mackenzie, founder of the group We Can’t Consent To This, expressed reservations about the potential effectiveness of the proposed law.
She contended that existing laws already prohibit the depiction of choking in pornography, but are not consistently enforced.
She cited the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which criminalizes the possession of extreme pornography, including depictions of life-threatening acts.
“More than five years ago, young women told us that social media sold strangulation of women as normal, as an expression of passion,” she said.
“The porn sites make this normal for men – and none of those sites have ever felt the impact of the existing law.
“So a change in law or practice is needed. It’s possible that this time the government might actually do something about this.
“However until we see otherwise, I don’t believe that any new law will actually be enforced.”
The government stated in June, when the amendment was announced, that it builds upon existing legislation, including the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
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