Overview
- The government has tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise possessing or publishing pornography that depicts strangulation or suffocation.
- If enacted, the material would be designated a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, obliging platforms to proactively prevent UK users from accessing it through tools such as moderation and automated detection.
- Ofcom would enforce compliance, with potential fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue for companies that fail to act.
- A separate amendment extends the time limit for victims to report intimate‑image abuse from six months to three years.
- The plan stems from Baroness Gabby Bertin’s review; supporters including IFAS and the BBFC welcomed the proposals, while critics question enforceability given overseas hosting and VPN circumvention.