Technology companies operating in Britain will now be legally required to block unsolicited sexual images under new online safety rules taking effect on Thursday, as authorities intensify efforts to curb online abuse and emerging risks linked to artificial intelligence. The move builds on the criminalisation of cyberflashing in England and Wales since January 2024, where offenders face up to two years in prison, and reflects growing concern over the scale of digital harm, particularly to women and girls.
Under Britain’s Online Safety Act, cyberflashing has been designated a priority offence, placing strict obligations on platforms including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, X, dating applications, and websites hosting pornographic content. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said platforms are now required by law to detect and prevent the circulation of such material, stressing that the internet must be a space where women and girls feel safe and respected. A poll conducted in September found that one in three teenage girls had received unsolicited sexual images, reinforcing calls for stronger enforcement.
Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, said it will consult on the specific measures platforms must implement to comply with the new requirements. The enforcement push comes amid wider global scrutiny of how technology companies manage harmful content, particularly as artificial intelligence tools make the creation and spread of explicit material easier and faster.
Concerns over AI generated sexual content have also triggered international action. France has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X over sexually explicit deepfake images generated through its chatbot Grok, describing the content as illegal.
The European Commission has said it is closely examining Grok’s so called spicy mode, while British and Indian authorities have sought explanations from X. Although the platform says it removes illegal content and suspends offending accounts, regulators have continued to express concern over the proliferation of intimate deepfakes and the adequacy of existing safeguards.