'Dangerous' category of online pornography set to become a criminal offense
Officials say there's more work that needs to be done
A new wave of pornography laws is on the way, and in a year where millions of citizens in countries all over the world have had their access to adult materials restricted, a popular but 'dangerous' category of porn is set to become a criminal offense.
Amid concerns over privacy and living in a Big Brother-inspired society where the government keeps tabs on us, we've seen 17 US states slap age verification rules on sites like Pornhub and OnlyFans. There was also a short-lived Pornhub ban in France, the United Kingdom demanding its own third-party verification, and Italy being the latest major country to insist that we change the way we view pornographic materials.
Pornhub has been vocal in its own privacy concerns and allegations that casual viewers will be pushed toward darker corners of the internet, where things aren't as regulated. Then again, with its traffic taking a hit and VPN usage going through the roof, the company behind one of the internet's most-visited websites was never going to be happy.
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Away from grumbles about users having to go through an extra step before getting their rocks off, further restrictions are on the way as a popular but 'dangerous' type of porn is facing the chop.
A scroll on sites like Pornhub currently includes whole categories dedicated to 'choking', but under new rules, anyone viewing them in the United Kingdom could be facing criminal charges.
The British government has reiterated that the possession and publication of images that depict strangulation and suffocation will now be criminalized.
This is part of a wider campaign against violent pornography. We're reminded that while non-fatal strangulation is already an offence in real life, it currently isn't illegal to be shown online.
It comes as Conservative peer Baroness Bertin spoke out in early 2025 and disagreed with a "total absence of government scrutiny" in the porn industry.
The BBC refers to Bertin's independent review that was published in February, claiming there was 'worrying' evidence from teachers being asked by students about how to choke women during sex.
She suggested that those who have a choking fetish could "face devastating consequences."
This has culminated in amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that will be heard in the House of Lords.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) reiterates that choking in porn will be made a 'priority offence' under the Online Safety Act. For those underestimating the severity, this puts it on the same level as child sexual abuse materials and terrorism content.
Platforms like Pornhub will have to remove this kind of content or face enforcement and potential fines from Ofcom. Cheering the change, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous. Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society."
Bertin similarly applauded the decision to BBC Radio Four, but concluded that more work needs to be done: "It's only the beginning as there's still so much violent pornography that is completely legal in the online world and completely illegal in the offline world.
"The government has to use this as a first step to try to address that balance."