Social media giants could face severe penalties, including bans or hefty fines, if they do not promptly remove unauthorized intimate images shared on their platforms. New legislation is set to require these companies to take down such posts within 48 hours, as ministers express concerns about the slow response of tech firms to non-consensual image sharing online.

Former Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) head and current MP, Keir Starmer, emphasized the critical need to combat violence against women and girls, citing the online space as a crucial battleground in this fight. Regulator Ofcom is exploring methods to digitally mark these images for automatic removal to prevent reposting, similar to existing measures for child abuse and terrorism-related content.

Proposed amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill aim to streamline the process for victims to report and remove images across multiple platforms with a single notification. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stressed the importance of ensuring swift and comprehensive protection for individuals affected by such violations, underscoring the government’s commitment to creating a safe and empowering online environment for women and girls.

The legislative changes also target loopholes that have allowed the creation of deepfake nude images through chatbots, exemplified by the controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot on the X social media platform. The government’s efforts seek to address these challenges and hold platforms more accountable for safeguarding user safety and privacy.