Technology companies in Britain will be required to block unsolicited sexual images under online safety rules, which took effect on Thursday, as governments worldwide step up efforts to curb abuse and risks linked to artificial intelligence.
Cyberflashing has been a criminal offence in England and Wales since January 2024, with perpetrators facing up to two years in prison.
It has now become a priority offence under Britain’s Online Safety Act, which sets tough requirements on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X, as well as dating apps and sites hosting pornography.
“Platforms are now required by law to detect and prevent this material,” Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall said in a statement.
“The internet must be a space where women and girls feel safe, respected, and able to thrive,” she added, as a September poll showed that one in three teenage girls had received unsolicited sexual images.
Britain’s media regulator Ofcom will consult on the measures platforms must take, the government said.
France has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media site X over sexually explicit ‘deepfake’ images generated via its chatbot Grok, calling the content “manifestly illegal.”
On Tuesday, the European Commission said it was “very seriously” examining Grok’s “spicy mode,” warning that it had no place in Europe.
Britain’s Kendall urged X to urgently address a surge of intimate deepfake images, calling the content “absolutely appalling”.
Ofcom on Monday said it had made contact with X to understand what steps it was taking to comply with UK legal duties. Indian authorities have also demanded explanations.
X’s Safety account said on Sunday it removes illegal content and suspends accounts involved, but Musk has shrugged off concerns online, posting laughing emojis in response to edited bikini images of public figures.
