The UK government has moved to make pornographic material that depicts strangulation/suffocation (often called “choking” in coverage) a criminal offence to possess or publish. Online platforms will now have legal duties to prevent UK users from accessing such content. This move follows government reviews led by Conservative peer Baroness Bertin and campaigning about the harms and normalisation of sexual strangulation, especially among young people.
Under the new amendment, online platforms are required to take proactive steps to prevent the viewing of depictions of strangulation and suffocation, which are now classified as a priority offence under the Online Safety Act. This includes the use of automated moderation tools to ensure that users cannot access such content.
- Criminalizing violent pornography: Possession or publication of pornographic content depicting strangulation or suffocation will become a criminal offence. Tech platforms will be legally required to prevent the spread of such material under the Online Safety Act.
- Extended reporting window for victims: Victims of intimate image abuse will now have up to three years to report a crime, compared to the current six-month limit, providing them with more time and support to seek justice.
While the UK is tightening online safety laws, New Zealand faces alarming rates of sexual violence among teens, underscoring the global urgency of addressing harmful online content. A study published in The Lancet examined data from more than 200 countries over the last three decades, offering a global perspective on the issue. Among people aged 12 to 18, it is estimated that almost 30 per cent of New Zealand women and one in five men experience sexual violence. The global rate was 18.9% for women, 30% for NZ women and 14.8% for men, but in NZ it’s 20%. These numbers remind us that behind these numbers are lives profoundly affected, and if we want to tackle sexual violence, we must first admit the role that pornography plays and the harm that it does to attitudes and actions. This move by the UK government is a welcome step in the fight against porn and its harms, especially amongst young people.
*Written by Family First staff writers*
