UK makes major decision on 'degrading' porn ban

Earlier this year, the UK government promised to ban the depiction of a 'dangerous' sex act often featured in online pornography - and yesterday, this restriction was officially put into place.

The ruling was first made public back in June in a bid to reduce the amount of both sexual and physical violence being enacted against women, after an Independent Review found that this sex act had become increasingly normalised in relationships as a result of online porn consumption.

The Crime and Policing Bill will now see the uploading or sharing of 'choking porn' - or 'pornography depicting any act of strangulation' - criminalised across the country.

According to a press release sent by officials earlier this year, the decision was also spurred by the review finding that this niche variation of porn had largely conveyed the message that choking during intimacy was non-fatal, and therefore, safe.

As we say, from yesterday (Mon 3 Nov), both possession and publication of images related to or conveying strangulation porn will be viewed as crimes in the UK, after the bill made its way through Parliament.

Pressure has also been placed upon x-rated content-sharing platforms (Getty Stock Images)

The ruling comes several years after non-fatal strangulation was made an illegal offence in its own right.

If all of the latest amendments to the bill are accepted in the coming weeks, it'll see possession or publication of strangulation or suffocation in pornography made priority offences under the Online Safety Act..

Addressing the harmful message that 'choking porn' previously sent, Conservative peer Baroness Bertin warned that, in general, there has been a 'total absence of government scrutiny' within the world of online pornography.

It was Bertin's review - published back in February - that also uncovered evidence from teachers that more and more students had been voicing their queries on how to choke their female partners during sex.

She added that, incorporating this act of sexual violence into intimate relationships could result in parttakers facing 'devastating consequences'.

According to the Ministry of Justice, as well as honing in on making this act illegal in all capacities in a bid to keep women safe, the bill will also put pressure on online platforms.

Baroness Bertin led the Independent Review (Sky News)

As such, tech firms will be legally required to put measures into place to prevent this violent content from reaching consumers, as opposed to waiting for complaints to be filed. The government has suggested that these now-crimes be detected using features such as moderation tools, stricter content policies or automated systems.

In response, representatives of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have agreed with the planned changes. They added, however, that amendments must 'mark the beginning of broader reform to ensure parity between online and offline content standards'.

On this, chief executive David Austin told press, that 'harmful depictions of non-consensual, violent and abusive activity continue to be readily accessible to UK users', but that the BBFC are welcoming 'the formal role of auditing online pornography'.

Another aspect of the law will see the time limit for victims of 'revenge porn' to come forward with their case extended.

Criminals caught breaking the law in the capacity - who take or share these images without consent - will now be prosecuted any time within three years of the offence occurring, as well as within six months of the prosecutor gathering sufficient evidence to bring a case forward.

The bill also includes an amendment related to 'revenge porn' (Getty Stock Image)

On these amendments, victims minister Alex Davies-Jones previously vowed that the British government would no longer 'stand by while women are violated online and victimised by violent pornography which is allowed to normalise harm'.

"We are sending a strong message that dangerous and sexist behaviour will not be tolerated," she went on to add.

Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall also addressed the dangers of strangulation-related porn earlier this year, warning: "Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous.

"Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society."

On the pressures now being placed onto content-sharing firms, Kendall continued: "We’re also holding tech companies to account and making sure they stop this content before it can spread.

"We are determined to make sure women and girls can go online without fear of violence or exploitation."