Changes to UK porn laws

Poll - Total Votes: 12

The changes are good, they are designed to protect women and children

The changes are bad, they prevent free speech

Other. I left a comment.

You can only vote on one answer.

From tomorrow (Nov 6th 2026) online pornography depicting strangulation, choking, hands around the neck, as well as incest or under-age roleplay, will be banned in England and Wales.

At present this only applies to visual porn, not written erotica, but it will be illegal to possess, publish or distribute porn which shows strangulation or suffocation, depicts sexual activity between people who are related, or that which shows adults role-playing as children under 16.

Those found in breach of this law may face up to five years imprisonment.

Some say that this is one of the greatest acts of suppression of free speech and could majorly change how British people are able to enjoy porn.

In particular, the changes pertaining to the depiction of strangulation and asphyxiation will have far reaching effects. The law has been written broadly enough to mean that it could affect scenes that show anything from face sitting, breast smothering and fellatio to BDSM scenes that include leather fetish and collaring as well as the obvious hard core asphyxiation scenes.

I'm wondering what People are thinking about these changes?

WasEP · 51-55, M

Won’t affect me, but the strangulation and bsdm porn is not my thing, too disturbing for violence

ArishMell · 70-79, M

I do not see it as a problem at all.

Free speech is one thing even though allowing stuff as shallow as pornography.

Promoting potentially dangerous or illegal acts is another.

I wonder who are the "Some [who] say... suppression of free speech" really are. The creators of pornographcy? The publishers including owners of social[??] media sites that allow it?

The real enemies of rights are those who abuse them for their own ends (money, in the case of pornography).

justmeonline · 51-55, M

I remember a few years ago it was becoming mandatory to sign-up for adult services using valid ID that could age-verify, and thinking that was a very good thing. I don't use porn sites anyway so had no idea of all these details either, PatientlyWaiting25.