UK Government Proposes New Law to Force Tech Firms to Remove Non-Consensual Intimate Images Within 48 Hours

London. The UK government has proposed a new law that will compel technology companies to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours without consent. Under the proposal, companies violating the regulation could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue or have their services in the UK blocked.

The government stated that the misuse of intimate images should be treated as a serious offense, similar to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and terrorist content. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking to BBC Breakfast, described this as part of the ongoing fight with platforms on behalf of victims.

This proposal has been introduced through an amendment to the 'Crime and Policing Bill', which is currently under consideration in the House of Lords. Under the new arrangement, victims will only need to report the images once; they will not have to file separate complaints on different platforms.

According to the plan, companies will be mandatorily required to adopt technical measures to prevent the re-uploading of removed images. Furthermore, guidance will be provided to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to websites hosting illegal content, which is expected to target 'rogue' sites currently outside the scope of the existing Online Safety Bill.

Janaia Walker, acting director of End Violence Against Women Coalition, reacted that this move holds tech companies properly accountable. According to government statistics, women, young girls, and the LGBT community are disproportionately affected by the misuse of intimate images.

A government report from July 2025 showed that young men and boys are the main targets of financial sexual blackmail, or 'sextortion'. A parliamentary report published in May 2025 noted a 20.9% increase in reports of such misuse in 2024. If the proposed law is passed, it is expected to tighten online safety and provide relief to victims.