A recent government review led by Conservative peer Gabby Bertin has called for a ban on pornography depicting strangulation, along with other types of "legal but harmful" sexual material (via The Guardian).
This includes violent, degrading, and misogynistic content. Bertin's independent report, commissioned by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023, highlights the rising normalisation of choking during sex, a trend particularly among young women.
The review emphasises the urgent need for stronger regulations on online platforms, given the increasingly widespread and damaging impact of such content. According to Bertin, while pornography has always existed, its online prevalence has dramatically transformed its reach and impact, particularly on children and society at large.
The report also recommends making certain types of pornographic content, such as incest, illegal, and introducing new measures to protect victims of intimate image abuse. The government has responded with a commitment to tighten the law and prevent the spread of harmful material. For now, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.