New law could see tech firms sanctioned over non-consensual intimate images shared online
Tech firms face strict new regulations as the government proposes changes to the Crime and Policing Act.
The bill would require intimate images without consent to be removed online within 48 hours of being reported.
Failure to comply may result in significant fines or denial of services in the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer said it was the latest step in his “21st century fight against violence against women and girls” online and vowed to “take notice” of tech firms.
Sir Keir said: “As director of public prosecutions, I have seen first-hand the causes of unimaginable, often lifelong suffering and traumatic violence against women and girls. “As Prime Minister, I will leave no stone unturned in the fight to protect women from violence and abuse.
“The online world is the frontline of the 21st century fight against violence against women and girls. That’s why my government is taking urgent action against chatbots and ‘nudification’ tools.
“Today, we are going further and warning companies to remove images without consent in less than 48 hours.
“Violence against women and girls has no place in our society and I will not rest until it is eradicated.”
The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit) said the Government wanted to ensure that victims only have to report an image once to have it removed from multiple platforms, and that it is automatically deleted if there is a new upload.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the days of tech firms “having a free pass are over”.
She said: “No woman should have to chase platform after platform, waiting days for an image to drop. “Under this government you report once and you are protected everywhere.
“The internet should be a space where women and girls feel safe, respected and able to thrive.”
Violence Against Women and Girls Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the change to the law would mean “technology platforms will no longer be dragging their feet” in tackling such online abuse and harmful content.
The government said plans were also being considered by communications regulator Ofcom to classify intimate images shared without the victim’s consent in a similar way to child sexual abuse and terrorism content, meaning they would be digitally flagged and automatically removed if someone tried to republish them.
Dsit said it would publish guidance for Internet providers on how they should block access to sites containing such content, and would target what it called “rogue websites” that may fall outside the parameters of the Online Safety Act.
The government has also recently pledged to close legal loopholes that allow chatbots to create deepfake nude images and plans to impose further restrictions on social media.
It follows a war of words between ministers and Elon Musk earlier this year after the Grok AI chatbot embedded on social media site X was widely used to create fake images of naked women.
