Men, young people and porn watchers are less supportive, but still in favour
Key takeaways
- Large majorities support ban of content outlined in Crime and Policing Act 2026, namely porn depicting strangulation (78% support), incest (77%), or appearing or pretending to be under-16 (88%)
- Public also support a proposed ban on wearing of school uniforms in pornography, including by adults (77%)
- Men, young people, and people who watch porn are less likely to support bans, but are still in favour overall
On 6 November, new measures under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 come into force that will see several forms of pornography banned in England and Wales. Under the legislation, it will be illegal to possess or publish pornography depicting:
- strangulation or suffocation
- penetrative sexual activity between people who a reasonable person would think are related, or pretending to be related, in a certain way. This includes depictions of close familial relatives such as father and daughter or brother and sister, and certain step and foster relationships where one person is, or is pretending to be, under 18
- sexual activity between at least 2 people where a reasonable person would think at least one person is, or is pretending to be, under 16
New YouGov data shows that the public strongly agree with the ban, with 88% supporting the ban on depicting someone who appears or is pretending to be under 16, 78% supporting the ban on depicting strangulation, and 77% backing the prohibition on porn depicting incest.
Only 6-14% are opposed to the bans.
A separate proposed ban has also been gaining traction in the media, with a petition calling for a ban on all pornography depicting someone in school uniform – even when they are clearly an adult – receiving support from actress Emily Atack.
The British public are similarly likely to support such a ban, with 77% saying so, compared to 14% who are opposed.
The level of people saying they “strongly support” each ban is extremely high, at 79% for depictions of people who appear or are pretending to be under 16, and 63-64% for the other three.
The results also show that men are less likely to support the bans than women, and that under-50s are less likely to do so than their older peers. Likewise, people who watch pornography are particularly less likely to support banning each type, especially when it comes to strangulation (55%), school uniforms (54%) and incest (51%).
The decline in support for bans is notably smaller for these groups when it comes to pornography depicting people who appear or are pretending to be under 16, with the large majority in all groups supporting such a prohibition (77%+).
Methodology
- Sample size: Online survey of 2,258 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain
- Fieldwork: 2-3 November 2026
- Commissioned by: YouGov
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Photo: Getty
