England and Wales to criminalise possession of strangulation and incest pornography from 6 November
From 6 November, it will be illegal in England and Wales to possess or publish pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation, incestuous sexual activity, or adults role-playing as children under 16. The government says the law aims to curb content that can normalise violence and shape young people’s ideas about healthy relationships.
The changes follow a 2025 review that found choking depictions were widespread on popular porn sites and cited a 14-year-old asking a teacher how to choke girls during sex. Publishing the material can carry up to five years in prison; possession penalties range from two years for some images to three years for images involving someone pretending to be under 16. A law professor welcomed the changes but said their impact will depend on platforms and regulators acting to limit the material’s spread.
- New pornography offences take effect on 6 November.
- Publication can carry up to five years in prison.
- Experts say enforcement by platforms will matter.
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England and Wales regulate pornography through laws covering the making, publishing and possession of certain images and videos. The new rules add depictions of strangulation or suffocation, incestuous sexual activity and adults pretending to be under 16 to the material covered.
The changes followed a government review in 2025, which reported that choking scenes were common on popular porn sites and raised concerns about the messages young people may encounter. Ministers say the rules are intended to reduce exposure to content that could affect ideas about violence and relationships.
The law applies to both people who publish the material and those who possess it, with different maximum prison sentences. How much the rules reduce its circulation will depend partly on how platforms and regulators respond.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that criminalising possession and publication can reduce the reach of material that presents sexual violence or adult-child role-play as normal, particularly for young people encountering it online. They see the restrictions as a proportionate way to protect children and promote safer expectations about relationships, especially given evidence that choking depictions are widespread.
The case against
Critics may argue that criminal penalties for possession risk restricting adult access to consensual fantasy, including fictional or role-play material, without clear evidence that viewing it causes harmful behaviour. They may favour stronger platform controls and education instead, warning that broad or uneven enforcement could intrude on privacy and free expression while leaving the material’s wider circulation largely untouched.
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Originally published by BBC Technology as “Porn showing choking or incest to be banned from early November, government says”.