Strangulation in Porn: Problem?

From 6^th November 2026, porn that depicts strangulation along with other controversial porn scenarios will be illegal to possess in the England and Wales. The Australian government is considering similar legislation.

The argument for this type of legislation is that depictions of choking and strangulation lead to real life sexual violence and non-consensual choking incidents, especially between teenagers. I would argue otherwise.

The idea that certain types of porn or media compel a person to do a certain act, or increases the chance they will do so, is simply wrong. People have free will and are in control of their own behaviour.

I would even argue that blaming porn for bad behaviour is harmful as it discourages people from taking personal responsibility and does not fix deep seated cultural problems that cause sexual violence, and that education is a far better solution than prohibition.

Parents should be strongly encouraged to educate their children about consent and realistic expectations surrounding sex. Restricting the rights of adults based on protecting children is a classic nanny state argument, especially when parental controls exist and are easily accessible.

People who engage in non-consensual and malicious acts should be held accountable and should not be allowed to argue that porn made them do it in a court of law.

Strangulation and choking are kinks that some segments of the population enjoy, including some members of the BDSM community. This community, unlike the government, puts a huge emphasis on consent even to the point of having people sign contracts before specified sex acts occur.

Some people even subject themselves to strangulation for their own sexual pleasure in what is known as auto erotic asphyxiation. Others choose not to engage in the underlying act in real life yet enjoy the fantasy and escapism that comes from consuming the porn in question.

Banning certain types of porn stigmatises those who engage in otherwise consensual acts and can result in people engaging in stigmatised acts in less safe environments, even when the underlying sex act is still legal. This is especially relevant when the legislation extends the ban to written pornography as it risks chilling mere discussion of the underlying stigmatised acts, including discussions on how to practice risky sex acts in a safe manner.

Criminalising media that was filmed using consenting adults creates a victimless crime. The pursuit of cases for possession takes time, money and resources away from crimes with actual victims. It also creates a bizarre situation in which two adults can legally engage in a consensual sex act yet the moment they film themselves doing it, they become criminals. It could even criminalise those who film themselves strangling themselves for their own sexual pleasure.

Ironically, there are many people who support this type of legislation intending to play GTA (Grand Theft Auto) 6 when it comes out on the 19^th of November 2026. Yet there is no moral panic about that or claims that a game that allows users to engage in violent crimes including robbery, assault and murder, and will likely sell millions of copies, will result in a giant crime wave.

Much of the population has already rejected the fallacy that violent video games cause violence. To many, it feels ok when they or others wish to engage in their own fantasy and escapism. Yet in arguing that depictions of certain acts make people engage in those acts in real life, they increase the risk that one day consuming the media they enjoy will also be a criminal act. Censorship does tend to be a slippery slope after all.