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Scottish Sun
23-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Britain BANS ‘dangerous' porn trend to help tackle violence against women
The ban will likely be in place by the end of the year SICK FETISH Britain BANS 'dangerous' porn trend to help tackle violence against women THE Government will ban porn showing strangulation in a bid to tackle violence against women following a shocking rise in men choking their partners during sex. A review found porn has made choking into a "sexual norm", despite it being "dangerous and degrading". 2 New rules also now require porn websites to have "robust" age verification in place by July at the latest Credit: Getty Tory peer Baroness Bertin made the recommendation in a review for the Government. Advertisement She said men believe choking their partner is "safe" during sex because it isn't fatal. But there is no safe way to strangle a person. Lady Bertin also recommended that online porn which is violent, harmful and misogynistic should be banned if it is being sold in high street shops. Legal changes will be made as an amendment to the Crime and Policing bill which is going through Parliament right now. Advertisement This means the ban will likely be in place by the end of the year. The Government's Independent Porn Review reads: "Non-fatal strangulation pornography (commonly known as 'choking' in pornography) should be illegal to possess, distribute, and publish. "Non-fatal strangulation or 'choking' sex is perhaps the starkest example of where online violent pornography has changed 'offline' behaviour. Toxic influencer Andrew Tate blamed for alarming rise in young men choking partners during sex By Julia Atherley TOXIC influencer Andrew Tate and other 'masculinity influencers' are being blamed for an alarming rise in young men choking partners during sex. The trend is most common in those aged 16 to 34 — with 35 per cent of females reporting being throttled during consensual sex, a government-funded study found. Tate often promotes the idea of male dominance and sexual control online. A recent survey by the government-funded charity the Institute For Addressing Strangulation, found that strangling is most common in the 16-34 age group, with 35 per cent responding that they had been choked by a partner during consensual sex. Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) was made a specific offence in 2022, and can lead to a five year prison sentence. In the year up to 2023, around 700 offenders were sentenced for the offence. "Choking sex is now being normalised with a survey showing 38 per cent of women aged 18-39 have been choked during sex. Advertisement "So-called 'choking' content is rife on platforms that host pornography and is a very popular category of content. "The review has evidence to show the influence that media sources, including pornography, have had in establishing choking as a sexual norm. "People acting it out in their sex lives may face devastating consequences. "Evidence shows that even a small amount of pressure to the neck can harm the brain, and there is no safe way to strangle a person." It comes after abusers who strangle their partners will now face jail sentences of up to five years. Advertisement New rules also now require porn websites to have "robust" age verification in place by July at the latest. Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) was made a specific offence in 2022, and can lead to a five year prison sentence. In the year up to 2023, around 700 offenders were sentenced for the offence. Many blame "masculinity influencers" and those like Andrew Tate for the rise in choking being seen as a normal thing to do during sex. Michael Conroy, from anti-misogyny training firm Men At Work, said: 'The rise in choking comes from porn and I see Andrew Tate as part of the porn world. Advertisement "He is part of porn world. He is the idea of porn made flesh. 'There's a visual grammar of heterosexual porn, which is that you - the man - are dominant, you are the controller, you are the one who tells them what to do. "You are at the top and she is at the bottom. And then Andrew Tate says it and reinforces it. 'He is responsible for fuelling the fire of sexual violence by putting that feeling in their stomach. And he refuses to acknowledge accountability and responsibility and that is attractive.' 2 A review found that porn has made choking into a "sexual norm" despite it being "dangerous and degrading" Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Britain BANS ‘dangerous' porn trend to help tackle violence against women
THE Government will ban porn showing strangulation in a bid to tackle violence against women following a shocking rise in men choking their partners during sex. A review found porn has made choking into a "sexual norm", despite it being "dangerous and degrading". 2 New rules also now require porn websites to have "robust" age verification in place by July at the latest Credit: Getty Tory peer Baroness Bertin made the recommendation in a review for the Government. Advertisement She said men believe choking their partner is "safe" during sex because it isn't fatal. But there is no safe way to strangle a person. Lady Bertin also recommended that online porn which is violent, harmful and misogynistic should be banned if it is being sold in high street shops. Legal changes will be made as an amendment to the Crime and Policing bill which is going through Parliament right now. Advertisement This means the ban will likely be in place by the end of the year. The Government's Independent Porn Review reads: "Non-fatal strangulation pornography (commonly known as 'choking' in pornography) should be illegal to possess, distribute, and publish. "Non-fatal strangulation or 'choking' sex is perhaps the starkest example of where online violent pornography has changed 'offline' behaviour. Most read in The Sun Toxic influencer Andrew Tate blamed for alarming rise in young men choking partners during sex By Julia Atherley TOXIC influencer Andrew Tate and other are being blamed for an alarming rise in young men choking partners during sex. The trend is most common in those aged 16 to 34 — with 35 per cent of females reporting being throttled during consensual sex, a government-funded study found. A recent survey by the government-funded charity the Institute For Addressing Strangulation, found that strangling is most common in the 16-34 age group, with 35 per cent responding that they had been choked by a partner during consensual sex. Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) was made a specific offence in 2022, and can lead to a five year prison sentence. In the year up to 2023, around 700 offenders were sentenced for the offence. "Choking sex is now being normalised with a survey showing 38 per cent of women aged 18-39 have been choked during sex. Advertisement "So-called 'choking' content is rife on platforms that host pornography and is a very popular category of content. "The review has evidence to show the influence that media sources, including pornography, have had in establishing choking as a sexual norm. "People acting it out in their sex lives may face devastating consequences. "Evidence shows that even a small amount of pressure to the neck can harm the brain, and there is no safe way to strangle a person." It comes after abusers who strangle their partners will now face jail sentences of up to five years. Advertisement New rules also now require porn websites to have "robust" age verification in place by July at the latest. Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) was made a specific offence in 2022, and can lead to a five year prison sentence. In the year up to 2023, around 700 offenders were sentenced for the offence. Many blame Michael Conroy, from anti-misogyny training firm Men At Work, said: 'The rise in choking comes from porn and I see Andrew Tate as part of the porn world. Advertisement "He is part of porn world. He is the idea of porn made flesh. 'There's a visual grammar of heterosexual porn, which is that you - the man - are dominant, you are the controller, you are the one who tells them what to do. Read more on the Irish Sun "You are at the top and she is at the bottom. And then 'He is responsible for fuelling the fire of sexual violence by putting that feeling in their stomach. And he refuses to acknowledge accountability and responsibility and that is attractive.' 2 A review found that porn has made choking into a "sexual norm" despite it being "dangerous and degrading" Credit: Getty Advertisement
Daily Record
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Banning strangling in porn will help tackle violence against women, says Scots MP
EXCLUSIVE: Joani Reid said online videos are "influencing real-world behaviour" and hailed the UK Government's decision as "a step in the right direction." Banning strangling in pornography will help tackle violence against women, a Scots MP has said. Joani Reid said online videos are "influencing real-world behaviour" and hailed the UK Government's decision as "a step in the right direction." Last week the Labour Government announced it would outlaw "the depiction of strangulation in pornography" as part of its Crime and Policing Bill. East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Reid said the ban would "stop the normalisation of violence through pornography." violence against women should never be entertainment. "We now have clear evidence that violent and degrading pornography is influencing real-world behaviour. "Non-fatal strangulation is a serious and dangerous offence yet, until now, online platforms have been free to promote and profit from its depiction as a form of sexual gratification. That's indefensible. "This isn't about being prudish or anti-sex. It's about protecting women and girls from harm and stopping the normalisation of violence through pornography. For too long online platforms have operated without scrutiny, spreading extreme content with no accountability. "If we are serious about tackling violence against women we can't ignore the role the online world plays in shaping attitudes and behaviour. The decision is a big step in the right direction but there's much more to do.' It is already a criminal offence to possess porn depicting life-threatening acts, such as graphic strangulation. But the Government will tighten up the law to now criminalise the depiction of strangulation completely. A ban had been campaigned for by group of Labour MPs who had backed an amendment to the Crime and Policing bill. These included seven Scots MPs: Reid, Katrina Murray, Tracy Gilbert, Patricia Ferguson, Johanna Baxter, Kirsteen Sullivan and Richard Baker. The UK Government announcement follows the Independent Porn Review, which was conducted by Tory peer Gabby Bertin. The review found that pornography has effectively established strangulation during sex as a 'sexual norm'. It also found that pornography has helped cause a belief that strangling a partner during sex is 'safe' because it is believed to be non-fatal. This is despite overwhelming evidence that is is believed there is no safe way to strangle a person. UK Minister for Victims and tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Alex Davies-Jones said: "Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real life consequences for women. "Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated." This pledge by the Labour Government is part of its vow to halve violence against women and girls during its time in office.
New York Post
22-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
UK bans ‘dangerous' porn category depicting this violent act: ‘Real life consequences for women'
The UK has banned pornography that depicts a violent act in a bid to stop the growing epidemic of violence against women and girls. The government announced it will criminalize pornography that depicts acts of strangulation. This comes after the Independent Porn Review, which was conducted by Baroness Gabby Bertin. Advertisement The review found that pornography has effectively made strangulation a 'sexual norm' and a 'safe' act to engage in. The amendment will be made to the Crime and Policing Bill. Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims and tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, said: 'Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real life consequences for women. The UK is criminalizing pornography that features acts of strangulation. fizkes – Advertisement 'Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.' Meanwhile Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) said the organization welcomed the government's decision after EVAW's years of campaigning. '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 fueling dangerous behaviors, particularly among young people,' she said. 'This is a vital step towards recognizing the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women.'
Cosmopolitan
19-06-2025
- Cosmopolitan
A choking ban and ID checks: all the ways porn is changing in 2025 — and what needs to come next
It's a transformative time for pornography. Long gone are the days where explicit sexual content could only be found in the adult section of video stores. Now, porn is freely available at the click of a button — and it's not just limited to dedicated adult sites. Unsuspecting users are exposed to porn on social media platforms like X and Reddit, which are rife with X-rated content (but not so harshly regulated as porn sites). This easy accessibility means that the public are increasingly exposed to it at a younger age. Recent research shows that the average age in the UK that people first see explicit material online is 13. Concerningly, much of this material seems to depict violence, with a 2023 report finding that 79% of 18 to 21-year-olds who'd seen porn online had encountered videos portraying degrading acts, physical aggression, or sexual coercion. The effects of this have been much discussed in pop culture. In 2021, Billie Eilish famously revealed that she started having nightmares after being exposed to 'abusive' pornography from the age of 11. Meanwhile, the Netflix series Adolescence explored the consequences of young people having access to violent content online without the proper critical thinking skills to challenge certain acts, ideas, and attitudes. Beyond porn, young people are also increasingly exposed to non-consensual intimate content via terrifying 'nudify' apps and deepfake technology, which make it possible for any unsuspecting person (usually a woman) to be virtually stripped naked or superimposed into explicit videos and photos. All of this has led to a growing backlash against sexual content online — and a call for legislators to crack down on it. We can already see this happening in other counties. In Sweden, for example, live cam shows and custom-made pornographic content were banned last month. In the US, in light of age verification laws being introduced in certain US states (which critics say is a violation of privacy and a data risk), Pornhub is blocked in 17 states. Then, in May, a new bill was introduced aiming to criminalise pornography at a federal level, meaning, if passed, it could be banned across the whole of the US. And now the UK is following suit. It was already planned that from July, websites hosting pornographic content will have to run ID checks on users, but yesterday [18th June] it was confirmed that pornography depicting acts of strangulation will be made illegal in the UK, as per a government announcement. The amendment will be made to the Crime and Policing Bill — though there isn't yet a date for its implementation. The government's decision was made following an Independent Porn Review which found that media sources, including pornography, have 'effectively established choking as a 'sexual norm', and a belief that choking a partner during sex is 'safe''. This is, obviously, worrying, and it's encouraging that the government is trying to tackle the rise of non-consensual choking, which mostly affects women and girls. It's a move that's been welcomed by safety campaigners and women's charities alike, and generally viewed as a step in the right direction. But will these measures really work? Amid the dire state of sex education in the UK, is this the right focus? And, as right wing conservatism grows, is a crackdown on sexual expression actually moving us forward? Data shows sexual strangulation has been on the rise in recent years, and it seems explicit online depictions of it have contributed to this, particularly among young people. A recent survey by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) found that it's most common among those aged 16 to 34, with 35% of respondents saying they've been choked during sex, while 17% said it had happened without their consent. 'I've experienced choking from casual sex partners before, and not always with my consent,' 35-year-old Bryony* tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'I was having sex once with a hook-up from Hinge and he suddenly grabbed my throat. I was so shocked by it that I froze — I would have struggled to talk with his tight grip anyway. He realised by my facial expression that I was taken aback and soon let go. It was a frightening experience.' Erotic asphyxiation is a genuine sexual kink/fetish, but seems to be increasingly misunderstood and mispracticed by those who seemingly don't know what they're doing. It has also sinisterly been used as a defence in many murder trials, including the harrowing case of Grace Milane, whose killer claimed she had died as a result of choking during consensual sex. Following this trial, the 'rough sex gone wrong' defence was banned in the UK — a key step in acknowledging that women cannot consent to their own harm or murder. As mentioned, women's groups have voiced their support for the criminalisation of choking porn, with Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, saying in a press release: 'Women cannot consent to the long-term harm [strangulation] can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.' The availability of this kind of violent porn, and porn more broadly, is why the government is introducing its age verification laws next month, as part of the Online Safety Bill, which will force any websites or platforms (presumably including social media sites) that allow pornography to introduce effective age checks. This may include users providing their driver's license or passport, credit card details, or even agreeing to facial age estimation technology. It's unclear how exactly this will work in practice, and whether sites like Pornhub will simply block access in the UK, as they have done in the US, in light of the potential privacy risks. In a statement, digital rights campaigners Open Rights Group warned: 'The roll-out of age verification is likely to create new cybersecurity risks. This could take the form of more scam porn sites that will trick users into handing over personal data to 'verify their age'.' Although the ban is well-intentioned, it's easy to announce something but much harder to implement it in practice. 'In one regard, yes, it's a good idea to [stop people seeing] anything that is clearly harmful to women. But simply banning it isn't going to solve the problem,' says Marcus Johnstone, a criminal defence solicitor at PCD Solicitors. For one, Johnstone continues, 'you can ban lawful porn sites depicting non-fatal strangulation, but then what happens? It goes underground'. There's also the issue of who the liability falls to. 'Are they criminalising the makers, watchers, possessors of the image, [or the platforms that host them]? None of that is very clear,' adds Sean Caulfield, a partner in the crime team at Hodge Jones & Allen. There's no denying that something needs to be done about rising misogyny and violence against women and girls, including non-consensual choking. But what young people really need is comprehensive sex education, including porn literacy. Banning choking porn doesn't seek to tackle the true crux of the problem. Instead, we should be ensuring that all content young people can access on the internet is safe, and that the porn they are being exposed to is appropriately regulated. 'It's clear we need far more effective legislation to ensure online safety,' says Susie McDonald, the CEO of Tender, a charity that educates on healthy relationships. 'But equally critical is the need for all children and young people to access high quality relationships education so they can understand the key tenets of healthy relationships like consent and respect — and recognise the early warning signs of abuse. 'Right now, too many simply don't have access to this vital education,' she continues. 'RSHE needs to play a key role in keeping our young people safe, online and in the real world. We have a responsibility to protect all children as early as possible.' Implementing parameters of safety around online porn, especially for impressionable young people, is key — but so is ensuring they have a full understanding of things like consent, to be able to make appropriate decisions in their own personal lives. 'Adults need to be trusted to make adult choices, but that only works if they're equipped with context and critical thinking skills,' agrees Madelaine Thomas, senior policy advisor at the Digital Intimacy Coalition. 'Porn is entertainment, not education. It is fiction and should be enjoyed as such, not as an instructional guide. Porn shouldn't be used to educate unless it explicitly labels itself as such. The key is in educating that porn is fiction and filling the gap in education to teach so that they don't look to fiction as fact.' For some, strangulation kinks are genuine, and there will be people in consenting sexual relationships who choose to engage in such acts. There is already a law banning porn depicting graphic strangulation, and incoming age verification laws that should, in theory, prevent under 18s from viewing pornography of any kind. Depictions of strangulation shouldn't be freely accessible online, but the problem goes far beyond the porn young people are watching. We urgently need comprehensive sex education, media and porn literacy, and to encourage open, judgment-free conversations about sex, relationships, and consent. There also needs to be more funding for services that work to prevent violence against women and girls, a justice system that actually achieves justice for victims of sexual violence, and education that seeks to address the rise in misogyny among young people — and the real world effects that it has.
