- 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 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. Note
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 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 to editors
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.
