People will be better protected from seeing unwanted sexual images via social media under toughened laws announced today.
- Tech Secretary plans to make cyberflashing a "priority offence" under Online Safety Act, as part of the government's Plan for Change commitment to halve Violence Against Women and Girls
- Social media platforms and dating apps will be required to take proactive steps to prevent users from seeing unsolicited nude images
- Possible actions could see companies using automated systems pre-emptively detecting and hiding the image, moderation tools or stricter content policies
People will be better protected from seeing unwanted sexual images via social media under toughened laws announced today, as 1 in 3 teenage girls say they have received unsolicited pictures of male genitals at least once.
Today (Monday 29 September), Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has set out plans to put stronger legal requirements on tech companies to actively prevent unsolicited nude images from being shared on their platforms - not just react to it after the fact. The changes mean 'cyberflashing' is set to become classified as one of the most serious types of online offences under the Online Safety Act .
Companies could tackle these images for example by using automated systems that pre-emptively detect and hide the image, implementing moderation tools or stricter content policies.
Under the laws, failing to proactively implement measures to protect users could lead to fines of up to 10% of the companies' qualifying worldwide revenue and potentially blocking their services in the UK.
The clamp down comes as disturbing figures show about 1 in 3 girls (32%) aged 12-18 has received unsolicited pictures of male genitals. 1 in 20 boys (5%) of the same age has also been affected.
This action is part of the government's Plan for Change commitment to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within a decade. By cracking down on cyberflashing and other forms of online abuse, the government is taking concrete steps to protect women and girls in digital spaces, ensuring they can participate fully online without fear of harassment or harm.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
The internet should never be a breeding ground for harassment and violence. Through our Plan for Change, we are taking action to ensure it is a place where women and girls feel safe and empowered.
No more excuses. Tech companies must make it a priority to stop their platforms from becoming a gateway for these deeply harmful and violating images.
Cyberflashing became a criminal offence in England and Wales in January 2024, under the Online Safety Act 2023. The law made it illegal to send unsolicited sexual images with intent to cause alarm, distress, or for sexual gratification. Perpetrators can face up to 2 years in prison.
Essex Police became the first police force in the UK to bring a perpetrator to justice for cyberflashing offences. In February 2024, Nicholas Hawkes, a 39-year-old registered sex offender from Basildon, Essex, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of cyberflashing, after sending explicit images of his genitals to both a 15-year-old girl and a woman in her 60s via different messaging platforms.
Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:
We welcome this move which will put requirements on certain tech companies to do more to identify cyberflashing occurring on their platforms. This must translate into tech companies taking stronger preventative action to stop it from happening, so that we can protect women and girls' rights and freedoms online.
Cyberflashing has sadly become normalised, and we hope that making it a priority offence under the Online Safety Act will increase awareness and encourage action and meaningful consequences, so that it is no longer tolerated in society.
However, we know that education is also key to stopping cyberflashing and other online forms of male violence, not least because these harmful behaviours often take place on private messaging channels.
Notes
The survey was carried out by YouGov between people aged 12-18-year-olds in England.
The regulations will come into force 21 days after they are made, following approval by both Houses of Parliament. We expect this Statutory Instrument (SI) to be laid this autumn.
DSIT
