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New legislation, put forward by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will compel technology companies to remove offensive images from the internet within 48 hours. Failure to comply could result in their services being disrupted in the UK.
These proposals further stipulate that tech firms must identify and expunge private images circulated without consent. Non-compliance could also lead to corporations facing penalties amounting to as much as 10 per cent of their global revenue.
This governmental initiative forms part of a broader strategy to combat gender-based violence. Its unveiling follows merely weeks after officials criticized Elon Musk’s xAI Grok AI chatbot for generating inappropriate images of children.
Starmer stated on Wednesday, “The digital realm stands as the forefront of the 21st-century struggle against gender-based aggression. Consequently, my administration is implementing swift measures, targeting chatbots and ‘nudification’ tools.”
He further declared, “Today, we are extending our efforts, putting firms on notice to ensure any unconsented image is removed in less than 48 hours.”
These proposals, set to be introduced through a modification to the government’s crime and law enforcement legislation, are aimed at guaranteeing that survivors need only report an unapproved image a single time. Subsequently, the material will be mandated to be expunged from every platform where it appears.
Furthermore, generating or disseminating unapproved private visuals will be classified as a high-priority offense under the digital safety act. This signifies that such an infraction will be accorded the same gravity as the abuse of minors or acts of terror.
On Monday, Starmer cautioned Musk and other technology leaders that “no platform receives an exemption” regarding unlawful material in the UK. He simultaneously disclosed intentions to incorporate AI conversational agents — including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Grok — within the purview of the digital safety legislation.
Last month, the British administration also initiated a public inquiry, seeking opinions on whether minors below the age of 16 should be prohibited from accessing social media. This follows a similar restriction enacted by Australia in December.
France is nearing the enactment of comparable legislation, whilst Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, and Denmark have all declared their intent to intervene to prevent juveniles from using online networking sites.