According to an independent government review, the legislation should make pornography illustrating strangulation and other types of “legal but harmful” sexual content unlawful.
Gabby Bertin, a Conservative peer, who was commissioned by the former prime minister Rishi Sunak to inspect the sector in 2023, made this suggestion as one of 32 others to the UK government.
Bertin also proposed prohibiting the ownership, distribution, and publication of other demeaning, violent, or misogynistic pornography, as well as the prohibition of “nudification” apps.
Sexual choking is becoming more and more normalized, with a survey showing that almost four in 10 women between the ages of 18-39 have experienced it.
Bertin said that pornography has always existed, but its scale and impact have “changed dramatically” in recent years due to online distribution.
“The evidence is clear that allowing individuals to view legal but harmful pornography, such as choking during sex, violent and degrading acts, and even content that could encourage child sexual abuse, is having a negative impact on children and society,” Bertin added. “The law must be tightened with more proactive regulation of online platforms.”
Bertin’s review suggested that non-fatal strangulation or “choking” sex, which is already criminalized under the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act, should be added to the definition of extreme, illicit pornography.
The review was published days after the UK communications watchdog published measures to combat online misogyny, including addressing explicit deepfakes and “revenge porn”.
Online pornography is viewed regularly by more than a quarter of the UK’s population on social media and pornography sites. According to the UK communications watchdog, Ofcom, men are twice as likely to visit a pornographic site as women.
The review’s other recommendations include: making pornography depicting incest unlawful, creating an ombudsman for victims of intimate image abuse, and banning individuals who upload illicit material online from uploading content to platforms.
On Thursday, the UK tech secretary, Peter Kyle, stated that he would not hesitate to “change the law” to prevent individuals from accessing demeaning pornography online.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme before the review’s publication, he said: “I know that this content is harmful to many people who currently have free access to it. We have the power to prevent individuals from accessing it, even if the material is provided from elsewhere.
“We just need to find ways of ensuring that this is done efficiently and effectively. And if I have to change the law in response to any gaps that emerge in these powers, then, of course, I’ll act as quickly as I can.”
