US EditionTech firms must block unsolicited nude images under new UK rules
The UK government designates cyberflashing a priority offence, requiring tech firms to proactively block unsolicited explicit images, with fines up to 10% of global revenue.
- From Thursday, the UK introduced a legal duty requiring social media and dating platforms to proactively detect and prevent unsolicited nude images under the Online Safety Act, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said.
- The government said the move aims to protect women and girls from online sexual harms, citing one in three teenage girls receiving unwanted sexual images as part of efforts to halve violence against them.
- Technical measures — automated detection and built-in safety — are expected to be central to compliance as platforms like dating and social media apps must assess cyberflashing risk, proactively prevent it and build safety features into product design.
- Regulators warn non-compliant platforms could face heavy fines or service blocks, with Ofcom consulting soon on updated codes and pressing Elon Musk's X and xAI over Grok deepfakes.
- Namrata Haribal, product manager for safety at Bumble, said the company has filtered lewd messages since 2019 and achieved a model with about 98% accuracy.
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13 Articles
Don’t send nudes: Cyber flashing becomes priority offence as UK targets online abuse
LIVING in a digital age means occasionally dealing with risks and dangers associated with communicating with anonymous strangers online, especially if one avidly uses dating apps and social media platforms. When it comes to online sexual harassment, perhaps no phenomenon is more common than “cyber flashing,” or receiving unsolicited nude images from another person. Cyber flashing has been… Source
Tech firms must block unsolicited nude images under new UK rules
Technology companies in Britain will be required to block unsolicited sexual images under online safety rules taking effect on Thursday, as governments worldwide step up efforts to curb abuse and risks linked to artificial intelligence.
Sky News UK
Great Yorkshire RadioCyber flashing just become a priority offence - here's what changes from today
By making cyber flashing a priority offence, the government is signalling to the regulator and tech firms that it takes this crime particularly seriously.
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