UK To Criminalise Possession, Sharing Of Porn Depicting Strangulation, Incest From November 6
The United Kingdom government will criminalise the possession and publication of certain pornographic images depicting strangulation, suffocation and incestuous sexual acts from November 6, 2026.
The new offences will also cover explicit, realistic pornographic images depicting sexual activity involving people who appear to be under 16, including adults pretending to be under that age, according to guidance published by the Ministry of Justice on Friday.
The restrictions form part of the UK’s Crime and Policing Act 2026 and apply to England and Wales, with the offences designed to address sexually explicit material that the government says could normalise harmful or illegal behaviour.
Under the new provisions, it will be an offence to possess or publish pornographic images that explicitly and realistically depict one person strangling or suffocating another, or certain penetrative sexual acts between people who appear to be relatives or are pretending to be related.
The incest-related provisions cover specified family relationships, including parents and children, siblings, and certain step-family and foster-family relationships under particular conditions.
The law also covers realistic pornographic images depicting sexual activity involving at least two people where one appears to be, or is pretending to be, under 16.
The government said the offences apply to images depicting people who would reasonably be considered real, meaning certain realistic AI-generated images could also fall within the restrictions.
Penalties for offenders
The Ministry of Justice said possession of pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation or specified sexual acts between relatives could attract a maximum prison sentence of two years.
Possessing material depicting sexual activity involving someone who appears to be under 16 could attract a maximum sentence of three years.
Publishing material covered by the new offences could attract a maximum prison sentence of five years.
The law’s definition of publication includes making an image available to another person through uploading, posting, sending, sharing or distributing it.
Possession may also include retaining prohibited images on a device, in a personal online account or in cloud storage.
However, the legislation provides defences in certain circumstances, including where a person had not previously seen an image and had no reason to suspect that it fell within the prohibited categories. Other defences may apply depending on the circumstances.
Government’s justification
The Ministry of Justice said the measures were intended to address the potential influence of pornography on real-life behaviour, including the normalisation of harmful sexual practices and conduct that would be illegal outside pornography.
The policy follows recommendations from the Independent Pornography Review, led by Baroness Gabby Bertin and published in February 2025.
The review raised concerns about the prevalence of pornography depicting strangulation and the possibility that such material could influence attitudes towards violence during sexual activity.
The government subsequently announced plans to criminalise pornography depicting strangulation and suffocation before expanding the measures to cover specified incest-related content and adults pretending to be children.
The new offences will also be treated as priority offences under the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, requiring covered online platforms to take proactive and proportionate steps to prevent such illegal material from appearing on their services.
Deadline before the law takes effect
The government has warned that people who already possess images covered by the new offences must permanently delete them or otherwise dispose of them before November 6 to avoid committing an offence once the provisions come into force.
Those who have uploaded or shared prohibited material must also remove it and stop making it available to others before the commencement date.
The restrictions are part of wider UK efforts to tackle harmful online content and violence against women and girls.
The government has also committed to examining the role of internet platforms in verifying the age and consent of people appearing in pornographic content.
The new offences are scheduled to take effect on November 6, 2026.
