UK to ban online pornography depicting strangulation and incest from November

The UK government announced that pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation, and incestuous relationships will be banned starting from early November, the Guardian reported. The new legislation takes effect on 6 November following cross-party pressure that led ministers to propose legal changes earlier this year. [1]

Under the new rules, online pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation will become illegal, according to the Guardian. The law also bans material featuring sex between people who are related or pretending to be related, as well as content where someone pretends to be a child under 16 years old. [1]

The legislation follows recommendations made by a 2025 review into pornography regulation, the Guardian reported. Campaigners welcomed the government action. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones stated that the measures are not aimed at criminalising individuals, according to the report. [1]

In many countries, the production, distribution, and possession of pornographic material are legal, provided performers consent and meet the minimum age requirement, which is typically 18 years. Modern pornography is mostly consumed online and has grown into a multibillion-dollar global industry. [2][3]