Australia should look 'very seriously' at UK-style ban on strangulation porn: minister

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the government is considering further reforms around online safety and should be looking "very seriously" at following the United Kingdom's lead by outlawing depictions of strangulation in pornography.

Her comments follow the recent death of a 16-year-old girl after a suspected sexual strangulation act.

The death has sparked renewed concern over the rising rate of sexual violence among young people.

According to the Breathless campaign, strangulation — often referred to as "choking" — has become a common sexual practice for young Australians.

The campaign found 57 per cent of young Australians reported being strangled by a partner during sex, while 51 per cent said they had strangled a partner during sex. Among women, 61 per cent said they had experienced strangulation during sex.

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Last year, the UK government moved to criminalise porn featuring strangulation or suffocating, introducing a bill that would make it illegal to create or share any such content.

It was recommended in a UK government-commissioned review of online pornography, which found that dangerous practices were being normalised, particularly for young people, through porn.

New South Wales Liberal leader Kelly Sloane has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to call for a similar ban in Australia.

"When pornography depicts an act capable of causing brain injury, unconsciousness or death, it should not be treated as just another form of adult entertainment," she said in a statement on Sunday.

Speaking on ABC's Insiders, Plibersek said the government should look seriously at such a ban.

"There is something wrong with a situation where 60 per cent of young people say they've experienced strangulation during sexual encounters," the federal minister said.

Plibersek said it would be crucial to educate young people that pornography is not real life.

"We know that children as young as 10 are seeing pornography before they've had their first kiss; they're getting their sex education from pornography," she said.