Australia's social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, has indicated support for Australia to adopt legislation mirroring a law introduced in the UK in 2025. This UK legislation made it a criminal offence to possess or publish pornography depicting suffocation or strangulation.
The consideration of this reform comes as New South Wales police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl found unresponsive in a Sydney home last week. She died two days later, and her death is being investigated as the result of a sexual strangulation act. Sources reportedly told the ABC that the deceased may have experienced a seizure following asphyxiation, and that officers were told the sex was consensual.
Australian research from 2024, published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, found that 57% of Australians aged 18 to 35 had been strangled at least once during sex, and 51% reported strangling a sexual partner. Women's Health NSW CEO Denele Crozier stated that since 2023, there has been a 123% increase in women presenting with concerns of possible brain injury linked to strangulation.
The Australian government is also reportedly considering a second reform proposed by consent advocate Chanel Contos and her organisation Teach Us Consent. This proposal, known as "Fix Our Feeds," aims to regulate big tech companies to ensure algorithms are an opt-in feature, allowing users more control over content and potentially reducing exposure to extremist material.