Politics · United Kingdom · 3 hrs ago
England and Wales to ban possession and publication of some porn from 6 November
From 6 November, new offences take effect in England and Wales covering the possession and publication of certain pornographic material.
The ban covers depictions of strangulation or suffocation, sexual activity between relatives, and adults role-playing as children under 16.
The rules follow a 2025 review that found choking depictions were widespread on popular porn sites and warned they could make the behaviour seem normal to young people.
The government says the aim is to prevent violent content from shaping views of healthy relationships.
Publishing the material can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while possession penalties vary by content and can reach three years.
The law was passed in April through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, and non-consensual strangulation is already a crime.
Tech platforms and the regulator are expected to act to remove the material and limit its spread, though questions remain about how quickly they will respond.
England and Wales will make it illegal from 6 November to possess or publish some pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation, incest or adults role-playing as children under 16.
The new offences were added through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which became law in April.
Publication offences carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Maximum sentences for possession range from two to three years, depending on the material.
The government says the changes aim to address content that can normalise violence and affect young people’s views of healthy relationships.
- Who
- The government is introducing the offences in England and Wales.
- What
- Possessing or publishing specified pornography will become illegal. The material includes depictions of strangulation, suffocation, certain sexual activity between relatives and adults role-playing as children under 16.
- When
- The rules take effect on 6 November.
- Where
- England and Wales.
- Why
- The government says such content can normalise violence and influence what young people think a healthy relationship looks like.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A review into porn regulation found depictions of choking were rife on popular porn sites.
The Crime and Policing Bill, including amendments intended to cover the material, became law.
The government announced that the offences would take effect from 6 November.
Possession and publication of the specified pornography will become illegal.
- Effective date
- 6 November
- Jurisdictions
- England and Wales
- Maximum sentence for publication
- Five years in prison
- Maximum sentence for possession involving a person pretending to be under 16
- Three years in prison
- Maximum sentence for possession of depictions of strangulation, suffocation or certain sexual activity between relatives
- Two years in prison
What people are saying
If you've got this material, delete it. If you're sharing it, stop
not a moment too soon
extreme and violent content that encourages real-life harm is not acceptable
this is not about prosecuting individuals, but transforming the online pornographic landscape and that requires the platforms and regulator to act