New law requires tech firms to delete abusive images in 48 hours

Under a new UK law proposal, tech companies would need to delete intimate photos shared without permission within 48 hours.

The government highlighted that handling intimate image abuse should have the same importance as dealing with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and terrorist content.

If companies do not comply, they could face fines of up to 10% of their worldwide revenue or may have their services suspended in the UK.

Janaya Walker, temporary head of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, noted the "appreciated and potent action... appropriately assigns accountability to technology firms."

These suggestions are presented as a modification to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently under review in the House of Lords.

According to the plan, victims would only need to report an image once, without having to contact each platform individually.

Technology firms would then be required to prevent the images from being uploaded again once they are removed.

The initiative also aims to give guidance to internet providers on how to block access to websites holding unlawful content, targeting problematic sites beyond the scope of the Online Safety Act.

Intimate Image Abuse (IIA) disproportionately impacts women, girls, and LGBT communities.

A parliamentary paper from May 2025 reported a 20.9% rise in cases of intimate image abuse in 2024.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reflected on his experience as director of public prosecutions, stating, "I witnessed the unimaginable and often lifelong harm and distress that violence against women and girls can inflict."

"My administration is taking swift measures against chatbots and tools that facilitate 'nudification'," he stated further.

This declaration follows the government's January confrontation with X when the AI tool Grok manufactured images of actual women in scant attire.