New law targets cyberflashing on dating apps

New Law Targets Cyberflashing on Dating Apps

A new law aimed at protecting dating app users from cyberflashing has come into effect. This law places greater responsibility on tech firms.

The government noted that one in three teenage girls have received unsolicited sexual images. This change is part of a broader effort to combat online abuse and reduce violence against women and girls.

Starting Thursday, social media and dating platforms must proactively detect and prevent unsolicited nude images from reaching users.

Legal Requirements for Tech Firms

This law makes cyberflashing a priority offence under the Online Safety Act. It requires companies to take preventative action rather than just reacting to incidents.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology warned that platforms not following the new law could face fines up to 10 percent of their global revenue. They may also have their services blocked in the UK.

Ofcom, the communications watchdog, will consult on new codes of practice. These codes will outline the steps platforms must take to protect users. Expected methods include automated systems to detect and hide such images, stricter content policies, and moderation tools.

Statements from Officials

An Ofcom spokesperson stated, “We’ll consult on updates to our codes of practice soon to reflect this change to the law, and we’ll hold platforms to account for protecting people from this despicable crime.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said, “We’ve cracked down on perpetrators of this vile crime – now we’re turning up the heat on tech firms. Platforms are now required by law to detect and prevent this material.”

She added, “The internet must be a space where women and girls feel safe, respected and able to thrive.”

Impact on Women and Girls

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said cyberflashing has been “just another degrading abuse women and girls are expected to endure.”

She emphasized, “By placing the responsibility on tech companies to block this vile content before users see it, we are preventing women and girls from being harmed in the first place.”

Phillips also stated, “We will deploy the full power of the state to make this country safe for women and girls, both online and offline.”

Industry Response

The Bumble dating app was the first to moderate cyberflashing. It uses an AI feature that detects and blurs nudity in images sent in chats. Users can choose to view, block, or report these images. Bumble welcomed the new law.

Elymae Cedeno, Bumble’s vice president of trust and safety, said, “Receiving unsolicited sexual images is a daily violation that disproportionately impacts women and undermines their sense of safety online.”

She added, “Strengthening the law to make cyberflashing a priority offence is an important step towards ensuring platforms proactively address this behaviour to better protect members.”

Concerns Over AI and Deepfake Images

This change coincides with Ms. Kendall’s call for Elon Musk’s X to address its AI chatbot Grok. Grok has been used to create sexualized deepfake images, including of children.

Kendall supports Ofcom’s investigation into X and xAI, the firm founded by Musk, to take “any enforcement action” deemed necessary.

Users on X have prompted Grok to generate images of children “in minimal clothing.”

Musk has stated that “anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.”

X claims it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it, suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as needed.