UK government to ban porn depicting strangulation and incest from November

Pornography depicting strangulation, incest and adults pretending to be children will be illegal in England and Wales from 6 November.

The new offences will cover the possession and publication of explicit, realistic pornographic images depicting strangulation or suffocation, penetrative sex between relatives, and sexual activity involving someone portrayed as under 16.

Forming part of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, the measures follow an independent review of pornography regulation led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, published in February 2025.

Baroness Bertin said the changes came “not a moment too soon”

The review found that depictions of choking were “rife” on popular porn sites and raised concerns about their influence on sexual behaviour, particularly among young people. It cited the case of a 14-year-old boy who asked a teacher how to choke girls during sex.

Baroness Bertin said the changes came “not a moment too soon”.

Speaking to the Press Association, she said the legislation would “send the unequivocal signal” that “extreme and violent content that encourages real-life harm is not acceptable”.

The new rules will apply to realistic images that appear to depict real people, including qualifying material generated using artificial intelligence. The offences cover adults role-playing as children under 16, as well as certain depictions of sexual activity between step-relatives and foster-relatives where someone is portrayed as under 18.

Possessing images depicting adults pretending to be under 16 could carry a sentence of up to three years

Publishing prohibited material includes uploading it or making it available to another person online. The maximum prison sentence for publication is five years.

Possessing images depicting adults pretending to be under 16 could carry a sentence of up to three years. Possession of material depicting strangulation, suffocation or penetrative sex between certain relatives could result in up to two years in prison.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the legislation was not about “criminalising harmless sexual preferences”.

Non-fatal strangulation is already a criminal offence when carried out without consent

She added that “porn can shape what people think a healthy relationship looks like, especially young people”, warning that content which “normalises, or even glorifies” violence against women can “blur the line with what is acceptable in real life”.

“If you’ve got this material, delete it. If you’re sharing it, stop,” Davies-Jones said.

“It’s not as harmless as you may think, and after 6 November, it is criminal.”

Non-fatal strangulation is already a criminal offence when carried out without consent. However, the new legislation will also criminalise possession and publication of qualifying pornographic images depicting the act.