The UK is set to introduce new restrictions on extreme pornography next month, with three types of material becoming illegal under measures announced by the government.

The ban, which comes into effect on 6 November, will cover pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation, sexual activity between people who are related or pretending to be related, and content involving adults pretending to be children under the age of 16.

The changes follow growing pressure from MPs across different political parties over concerns about the potential harm such material can cause, particularly to women and girls. The measures are also intended to address pornography that portrays violence as acceptable or presents harmful behaviour in a way that could influence how people view relationships.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government remained committed to tackling violence against women and girls, highlighting concerns that harmful material was still readily available online. She said the government "has a commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade," adding that "for many people, it is still easy to access harmful pornography online".

The minister stressed that the changes were not intended to criminalise every sexual preference, but were focused on material that could normalise dangerous behaviour.

"This isn't about criminalising harmless sexual preferences," she added. "But porn can shape what people think a healthy relationship looks like, especially young people.

"Content that normalises, or even glorifies, violence against women is dangerous and can blur the line with what is acceptable in real life."

The restrictions come amid wider concerns about the normalisation of choking and strangulation during sexual activity. Critics have warned that pornography depicting these acts can present potentially dangerous behaviour as ordinary or desirable, despite the risks involved.

A 2024 study by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation found that more than a third of adults aged between 16 and 34 had reported being strangled or choked at least once during consensual sex. A separate survey by the same organisation last year found that 43 per cent of sexually active 16 and 17-year-olds said they had been subjected to the practice.

The findings have added to concerns about how frequently strangulation is being experienced by younger people and whether exposure to online material could contribute to harmful expectations around sex and relationships.

Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, who recommended the measures in her 2025 review into pornography regulation, welcomed the announcement, saying it had come "not a moment too soon".

Her review highlighted concerns about pornography depicting women being choked, as well as disturbing role-play involving incest and adults portraying children. It also warned that material showing women being strangled could have "devastating" consequences in real life.

Baroness Bertin said the changes needed to be accompanied by effective enforcement and stronger regulation to ensure the restrictions had an impact beyond the announcement itself.

The government’s announcement has also prompted discussion online, with some people welcoming the decision and arguing that the material should never have been permitted in the first place. One person wrote:

“About time!! Some things should NEVER have been normalised in the first place!! Protecting people from harmful content shouldn’t be a debate!!”

Another said:

“I support this 100%! I can’t believe these types were even allowed in the first place.”

However, others questioned why the government was targeting specific categories rather than introducing a wider ban on pornography. One comment read:

“Why wasn’t this done earlier??? And why are you picking and choosing???? BAN ALL PORN!!!”

The new restrictions are expected to place the UK among the countries with some of the strongest regulations governing online pornography. However, the extent to which the measures will reduce access to harmful content will depend on how the rules are enforced and how effectively platforms respond to the new requirements.

With the ban due to take effect on 6 November, the government’s approach marks a significant change in how certain forms of extreme pornography are treated under UK law, as debate continues over online safety, sexual violence and the influence of explicit material on attitudes towards women and relationships.