Liz Kendall wraps cyberflashing into Online Safety Act
Social media giants will be forced to crack down on cyberflashing under new duties to be announced by technology secretary Liz Kendall at the Labour Party conference.
The move will see unsolicited nude images and videos classified as a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, placing strict new obligations on platforms to detect and remove the material, or risk penalties of up to 10 per cent of their global revenues and, in the most severe cases, having their services blocked in the UK.
“Keeping children safe online is non-negotiable”, Kendall is set to announce in Liverpool.
She will tell the crowd: “Platforms will be required, by law, to detect and remove this material. Because what is illegal offline must be illegal online.
Cyberflashing became a criminal offence in England and Wales in January 2024, carrying a maximum two-year prison sentence.
A YouGov study published the same year found almost a third (32 per cent) of girls aged 12 to 18 had received unsolicited sexual images, underscoring the scale of the problem.
Tougher rules and higher risks
The decision to elevate cyberflashing within the Online Safety Act reflects growing pressure on both government and industry to address online sexual offences.
Kendall said the change builds on her first act as secretary of state, compelling platforms to remove content that promotes suicide and self-harm.
But the wider Act has already drawn criticism for overreach. Introduced by the previous Conservative government and fully in force since July, the law was designed to shield children from harmful online material.
Yet its sweeping scope has led to widespread age verification checks, clumsy content blocking rules and accusations of “monstrous censorship” from political opponents.
The unintended consequences of the law have included users reporting being blocked from Spotify playlists and even political speeches, while its rollout has driven a surge in VPN use as people seek ways to bypass restrictions.
Campaigners warn the measures risk undermining privacy and free expression without necessarily protecting children.
With this in mind, Labour’s decision to prioritise cyberflashing seeks to re-frame the debate around the Act’s core purpose: tackling harmful behaviour rather than policing broad swathes of content.
Growing compliance burdens
For tech firms, the challenges will only multiply. The latest move will see platforms respond to reports of cyberflashing and proactively detect and prevent it too.
This could mean deploying advanced AI moderation tools, ramping up content scanning or potentially re-engineering how private message features operate.
Failure to comply could come at a high cost. Under the Act, fines can reach up to 10 per cent of a firm’s global turnover, a threat measured in the billions for Silicon Valley’s heavyweights.
And, perhaps most notably, the UK regulator maintains the power to block services outright.
Meta, TikTok, and dating apps like Tinder or Bumble are among those likely to face high levels of scrutiny.
Campaigners have argued that these platforms must do more to protect their users.
Smartsearch’s Fraser Mitchell said: “In today’s landscape, where criminals are agile and constantly evolving their methods, having such a robust system isn’t just about meeting compliance; it’s fundamental to fighting financial crime, protecting reputations, and building lasting trust with every interaction”.
Meanwhile, others have advocated caution against creating mass surveillance systems under the banner of safety.
Whether the renewed focus on cyberflashing restores public confidence in the Act, or piles new pressures onto tech firms already struggling with compliance, may depend on how firmly the new duties are enforced.