UK to Ban Porn Depicting Strangulation and Incest From 6 November
New laws in England and Wales will criminalise the possession and publication of extreme online pornography, carrying prison terms of up to five years.
At a glance
- From 6 November, possessing or publishing porn depicting strangulation, incest, or adults role-playing as children will be illegal.
- Publishers and uploaders face up to five years in prison, while possession can result in sentences between two and three years.
- The measures follow an independent review warning that violent online material normalises harmful behaviour among young people.
From 6 November, possessing or publishing online pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation, or incestuous acts will become a criminal offence across England and Wales, the UK government has announced.
The ban, established through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that became law in April, also prohibits material showing adults role-playing as children under the age of 16. It additionally targets pornography depicting sexual activity between step-relations or foster-relations where an individual pretends to be under 18.
Under the new rules, individuals convicted of publishing the material—such as uploading, posting, or otherwise distributing it online—could face up to five years in prison. Keeping such images stored on mobile devices, personal computers, or cloud platforms will also be illegal. Possessing depictions of people pretending to be under 16 carries a maximum prison sentence of three years, while possession of material showing strangulation, suffocation, or penetrative acts between relatives carries up to two years.
Addressing Real-World Harm
The legal changes stem from an independent porn regulation review published in 2025, which was commissioned by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration. Led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, the review concluded that depictions of choking were widespread on popular adult websites and had normalised dangerous acts among young people.
Baroness Bertin said the enforcement came "not a moment too soon," noting that the legislation sends a clear signal to hosting companies and society that violent content encouraging harm is unacceptable. Non-fatal strangulation is already a criminal act without consent, but its online depiction had remained legal until now.
Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones urged people to delete violating content, stating that the law does not aim to target harmless preferences but tackles media that distorts healthy relationship norms and glorifies violence against women. "If you've got this material, delete it. If you're sharing it, stop," Davies-Jones said.
Legal experts, including Durham University law professor Clare McGlynn, hailed the move as a crucial line in the sand against the normalisation of sexual violence. However, McGlynn noted that successfully reforming the online landscape will rely on how promptly tech firms and regulators act to purge the material.
Source: BBC Technology.
Questions and answers
- When does the UK ban on extreme online porn take effect?
- The new criminal offences will take effect across England and Wales on 6 November.
- What types of pornographic content are being banned?
- The ban covers material showing strangulation, suffocation, incestuous acts, adults role-playing as under-16s, and step or foster relations where someone pretends to be under 18.
- What are the penalties for breaking the new law?
- Publishing or uploading banned material carries up to five years in prison, while possessing the images can lead to two to three years' imprisonment.
