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London, November 4: In a major move to combat violence against women and girls, the UK government has announced plans to criminalise online pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation, often referred to as "choking." The new measure, introduced under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, aims to curb the rising trend of violent sexual content that normalises harmful behaviour. The possession and publication of such material will be made illegal, with strict penalties for offenders. Online platforms must also proactively remove such content or face heavy fines. According to a report by the BBC, the government’s decision follows an independent review led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, which revealed that depictions of choking are “rife” on mainstream porn sites and have contributed to normalising the act among young people. The review cited alarming evidence, including an incident where a 14-year-old boy reportedly asked a teacher how to choke girls during sex. It warned that imitating such behaviour could lead to devastating consequences, with research showing that strangulation can cause lasting brain damage even without visible injuries. The review recommended an outright ban on such material to prevent its influence on sexual attitudes. UK Shocker: Busy Watching Porn on Phone While Driving, Truck Driver Kills Man in Lancashire Crash; Sentenced to 10 Years (Watch Video). Under the new amendments, choking in pornography will be treated as a "priority offence" under the Online Safety Act, placing it on par with child sexual abuse and terrorism content. Tech companies will be legally required to detect and remove the material, with Ofcom empowered to enforce compliance through fines of up to 18 million pound or 10% of their annual turnover if they do not proactively detect and remove the illegal content. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall condemned the content as “vile and dangerous,” emphasising that those who promote it contribute to a culture of abuse that has no place in society. X Age Verification in UK: Elon Musk’s Platform Likely To Begin Verifying Age of Users in Compliance With Online Safety Act To Access NSFW, Violent and Political Content. The Ministry of Justice added that the law builds on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which criminalised non-fatal strangulation and suffocation. Experts and campaigners have largely welcomed the move, calling it a vital step in protecting women and young people from harmful online influences. Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, said the ban sends a strong message that strangulation is a serious form of violence often used to control or terrify victims.
