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The government is taking steps to address the normalization of violence against women and girls online. The new plans aim to make online pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation illegal. This decision comes after a review highlighted the prevalence of choking-related content on mainstream porn sites, leading to the normalization of such acts among young people. The proposed amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently under consideration in Parliament, will criminalize both the possession and publication of such material.
According to the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), this change will classify choking in pornography as a “priority offense” under the Online Safety Act, putting it on par with child sexual abuse material and terrorism content. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized the harmful impact of viewing and sharing such material, stating that it contributes to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in society. The government is also holding online platforms accountable by requiring them to actively detect and remove such content or face enforcement action by media regulator Ofcom.
While some organizations and campaigners have welcomed the government’s initiative, others remain skeptical about its effectiveness. Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, emphasized the harmful messages choking in porn sends to women about intimate relationships. Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, praised the amendments as a vital step in combatting the normalization of violence in online content. However, campaigner Fiona Mackenzie, founder of We Can’t Consent To This, expressed doubts about the enforcement of the proposed law, citing existing legislation that is not effectively enforced. The government has stated that the new amendments build upon existing laws, including the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
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