Thu, 19 Feb 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 Tech firms will have 48 hours to remove abusive images under new law

The government is proposing that intimate image abuse should be treated more severely.

* Proposed UK law requires tech platforms to remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours
* Failure to comply could result in fines up to 10% of global sales or blocked services in the UK
* Companies must block re-uploaded images and provide guidance for ISPs to block access to sites hosting illegal content
* Victims only need to flag an image once, rather than contacting different platforms separately
* The proposal aims to tackle Intimate Image Abuse (IIA) disproportionately affecting women, girls, and LGBT people
* A government report found a 20.9% increase in reports of IIA in 2024
* Tech companies are already required to remove terrorist content, and the new law would treat intimate image abuse with similar severity
* Enforcement will be through fines and other measures yet to be determined, including oversight bodies and criminal charges.
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