UK to Ban Porn Showing Choking, Incest From November 6

The United Kingdom government has announced that pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation and incestuous sexual scenarios will be banned from November 6, as part of new measures aimed at tackling harmful sexual content and violence against women and girls.

The new rules will make it a criminal offence to possess or publish certain pornographic material portraying strangulation or suffocation, sexual activity between people who are related or pretending to be related, and adults depicting sexual activity while pretending to be children under the age of 16.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the measures were intended to prevent harmful content from influencing attitudes towards relationships, particularly among young people.

“This isn’t about criminalising harmless sexual preferences,” Davies-Jones said, warning that pornography which normalises or glorifies violence against women could blur perceptions of what is acceptable in real-life relationships.

The legislation follows recommendations from an independent review of pornography regulation led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, whose report, published in 2025, raised concerns about the availability of violent and exploitative material online.

The review highlighted the growing visibility of choking and strangulation in pornography and warned that such depictions could contribute to the normalisation of dangerous behaviour during sexual activity.

The government’s measures also target pornography that simulates incestuous relationships, including scenarios involving step-relatives and adults pretending to be underage children. The government says the provisions are intended to address material that could normalise abusive or illegal sexual behaviour.

Under the new framework, online platforms will face stronger obligations to prevent users from accessing content covered by the law, with enforcement powers available to regulators where companies fail to meet their legal duties.

The government has presented the measures as part of its wider commitment to reducing violence against women and girls. Supporters say the restrictions could help challenge the normalisation of sexual violence, while campaigners have stressed that effective enforcement and accountability for online platforms will be essential.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition welcomed the move but called for the government to ensure the new rules are properly enforced and that platforms take meaningful steps to remove prohibited material.

The restrictions are scheduled to take effect on November 6. Their practical impact will depend on how the offences are enforced and how effectively online services identify and remove prohibited content.