'Promotes Violence And Abuse': UK To Ban Porn Depicting Strangulation Or Suffocation

Last Updated:November 04, 2025, 20:45 IST

Under the proposed rules, technology platforms will be required to take “proactive steps” to stop users from accessing this type of content

UK PM Keir Starmer (File photo)

The UK government on Tuesday announced that possessing or publishing pornography showing strangulation or suffocation will become a criminal offence. The move comes after an independent review found that such content is widespread online and helps normalise these acts sexually.

While non-fatal strangulation is already illegal in the UK, it is not currently a crime to display it in pornographic material online. The new measures aim to protect women and girls from abuse and to prevent the promotion of violent behaviour.

“Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous," said UK Technology Minister Liz Kendall. She added that those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in society.

Under the proposed rules, technology platforms will be required to take “proactive steps" to stop users from accessing this type of content. This could include improved moderation systems or stricter access controls.

A related change will extend the time limit for victims of intimate image abuse to report offences, from six months to three years.

The measures build on the UK’s Online Safety Act, introduced in July, which aims to shield young people from harmful content including pornography, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Websites and apps that host potentially harmful material must carry out age checks, which can include facial recognition or credit card verification.

The British government further warned that platforms failing to comply could face fines of up to £18 million, or 10 percent of global revenue, whichever is higher.

(With inputs from AFP)

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News world 'Promotes Violence And Abuse': UK To Ban Porn Depicting Strangulation Or Suffocation

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