The Government's Bold Move: Making Choking Pornography Illegal

Understanding the Legislation

As part of the ongoing amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, the UK government has announced that online pornography depicting choking or suffocation will soon be illegal. This significant legislative change comes as a direct response to growing concerns over the normalization of violent content.

The Rationale Behind the Ban

Recent studies indicated that portrayals of choking proliferate on mainstream pornographic platforms, contributing to harmful societal attitudes towards consent and violence. With nearly 38% of women aged 18-39 reporting experiences of choking during sex, according to a 2019 BBC survey, the urgency for reform is evident.

“Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, underlining the societal impact of such content.

Key Features of the New Legislation

• Both the possession and the publication of choking pornography will be categorized as criminal offenses.
• Online platforms will be enforced to detect and remove such content. Failure to comply may result in action from the media regulator, Ofcom.
• The change poses choking in pornography as a "priority offence" under the Online Safety Act, placing it parallel to offenses involving child sexual abuse material.

A Historical Perspective

The new amendments build on earlier legislative efforts, including the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which criminalized the possession of extreme pornographic materials. However, the existence of laws alone does not guarantee enforcement, raising questions about the efficacy of this fresh legislation.

Voices from Advocacy Groups

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, has commended the government's actions, noting that choking can send “confusing and harmful messages” to women regarding intimate relationships, often used as a tool of control in domestic abuse scenarios.

Concerns Over Implementation

Despite the optimism surrounding the bill, several advocates remain skeptical about the government's commitment to enforcement. Challenges around policing existing laws persist, with many pointing to a "total absence of government scrutiny" over the pornography industry.

Fiona Mackenzie of the group We Can't Consent To This raises vital concerns: “The porn sites make this normal for men—and none of those sites have ever felt the impact of the existing law.”

The Road Ahead

As we wait for this legislation to unfold, the broader question of how society will tackle violent content in pornography remains. While the ban on choking material represents a necessary step forward, it is crucial that this momentum translates into proactive measures that genuinely shift the cultural dialogue around consent and safety.

Conclusion

The UK government's pledge to outlaw choking pornography comes at a pivotal moment in the conversation surrounding women's safety and autonomy. This legislation could indeed pave the way for more comprehensive reforms, urging us all to engage critically with the media we consume and its repercussions on societal norms.