Government bans strangulation in porn

Yesterday (18th June 2025), the government announced landmark plans to make pornography depicting any act of strangulation illegal, a move called for by the recent Independent Porn Review.

The Review, conducted by Baroness Gabby Bertin, found that violent pornography has effectively established strangulation as a sexual norm, despite overwhelming evidence that there is no safe way to strangle a person.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) strongly supported Baroness Bertin’s recommendations, with our evidence reflected within them. We are clear that in order to tackle the attitudes and behaviours underpinning violence against women and girls, there must be robust regulation of the porn industry, which promotes and profits from this violence – with significant impacts on society.

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“We welcome the government’s decision to criminalise the depiction of strangulation in pornography, a move that reflects years of campaigning by EVAW and other experts who have long warned about the normalisation of violence against women and girls in online content.

“There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.

“This is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women. The UK’s flagship Online Safety Act must now be updated to ensure online platforms are made to remove this content.”

ENDS

Media contact

Sinead Geoghegan, Head of Communications, media@evaw.org.uk