Pornography depicting strangulation to become criminal offence in the UK | Pornography

Porn that involves strangulation or suffocation, often referred to as “choking”, will be criminalised, with tech platforms being required to prevent users in the UK from viewing such material.

Possessing or publishing pornography involving strangulation will become a criminal offense under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill introduced to parliament on Monday.

In a separate change, victims of intimate image exploitation will also have longer time to come forward and the prosecution period will be extended from six months to three years.

The government said this would help remove unnecessary barriers victims face when reporting a crime and “improve access to justice for those who need it most”.

The ban on choking follows recommendations from a government review of pornography that found it contributed to the establishment of choking as a “sexual norm”.

The independent porn review, led by Baroness Gabby Bertin, commissioned by former chancellor Rishi Sunak and published in February this year, recommended porn containing strangulation be banned.

Research shows that drowning is never a safe practice, but there is widespread belief that it can be performed safely. Although it often leaves no visible injury, oxygen deprivation, even for very short periods, causes changes in the delicate structures of the brain.

Numerous studies have specifically shown brain changes, including brain damage and signs of brain damage, in women who repeatedly “choke” during sex. Disruptions in the brain hemispheres linked to depression and anxiety.

Because of these dangers, non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal strangulation have been made a criminal offense under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 following concerns that perpetrators will often avoid punishment because they leave no visible traces.

Under the new change, platforms will be required to take proactive steps to prevent users from viewing illegal strangulation and strangulation content.

Strangulation becoming a priority offense means porn sites and tech platforms will have a legal requirement to ensure UK users do not view this material.

The Justice Department said this could include companies using automated systems to detect and suppress images in advance, moderation tools or stricter content policies to prevent the spread of malicious content.

Those who fail to act will be fined up to £18 million by Ofcom.

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Anti-Drowning Institute, said the organization welcomed the ban. “While consenting adults have the right to explore their sexuality safely and freely, we must be aware of the serious risks posed by unregulated online content, particularly for children and young people.

“Smothering is a serious form of violence in domestic abuse, often used to control, silence or intimidate. In pornography, especially when depicted without context, it can send confusing and harmful messages to young people about what is normal or acceptable in intimate relationships. Our research shows there is no safe way to strangle.”

Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Alex Davies-Jones said online misogyny had “devastating real-life consequences for all of us”. Every day, women and girls’ lives are turned upside down by cowards who hide behind screens to abuse and exploit them.

“This government will not stand by and watch women fall victim to violent pornography, which is allowed to be violated online and normalize harm.

“We are sending a strong message that dangerous and sexist behavior will not be tolerated.”

This follows a review commissioned by the UK government in 2020, which highlighted “significant evidence”. A relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviors towards women”.

A separate survey of children the same year found that many had encountered violent or offensive pornography that they found upsetting or disturbing, with some copying behavior they had seen online. Children who watched porn were three to six times more likely to have “potentially dangerous behavior” regarding consent. The British Board of Film Classification’s investigation found that:.