Technology secretary Liz Kendall has set out plans to force technology giants to actively prevent unsolicited nude images being shared on their platforms instead of taking a reactive approach.
The government said the new rules would mean that cyberflashing, the unsolicited sharing of nude images often through Bluetooth, would be classified as one of the most serious types of online offences under the Online Safety Act which passed into law in October 2023.
Under the rules, the government said that failing to proactively implement measures to protect users could lead to fines of up to 10 per cent of the companies’ qualifying worldwide revenue and potentially blocking their services in the UK.
Preventative measures that the government has suggested include using automated systems that pre-emptively detect and hide the image, implementing moderation tools or stricter content policies.
The rules come as figures from a YouGov survey show that around a third of girls aged between 12 and 18 have received unsolicited pictures of male genitals, while 1 in 20 boys of the same age has also been affected.
“The internet should never be a breeding ground for harassment and violence,” said Kendall. “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.
The law made it illegal to send unsolicited sexual images with intent to cause alarm, distress, or for sexual gratification, with perpetrators facing up to two years in prison.
Earlier this month, the UK government announced that it will strengthen the Online Safety Act by putting stricter legal requirements on tech companies to search for and remove material which encourages or assists self-harm.
While platforms already have to take specific steps to protect children from dangerous self-harm content, the government said that it recognises that adults battling mental health challenges are equally at risk from exposure to material that could trigger a mental health crisis or worse.
Under the new regulations, the government said that content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm will be treated as a priority offence for all users.
