UK Tightens Rules on Unwanted Sexual Images Online

The UK is ramping up its efforts to combat unwanted sexual images online. Effective immediately, tech companies are required to proactively prevent the sharing of such content.

Key Points

• Online Safety Act: This initiative is part of the UK's Online Safety Act, which targets major platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X, as well as dating apps and adult content sites.
• Cyberflashing: Since January, cyberflashing—sending unsolicited sexual images—has been a crime in England and Wales. Now, it is a top priority, requiring platforms to act before users report issues.
• Safety Goals: The aim is to make the internet safer, particularly for women and girls. Studies indicate that one in three teenage girls has received unwanted sexual images.

Regulatory Measures

• Ofcom's Role: The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, will determine how platforms must implement these rules and enforce compliance.
• AI-Generated Content: This crackdown comes amid growing concerns over AI-generated sexual content. France is investigating X over deepfake images linked to its chatbot, Grok. The EU has also warned about Grok's "spicy mode," which may violate their rules.

Global Impact

• X's Challenges: UK officials are urging X to address the rise of intimate deepfake images. Regulators in India are also seeking answers from X.
• Meta's Outlook: Meanwhile, Meta, the company behind Facebook, faces a bearish outlook in the medium and long term.