Social media platforms, messaging services, and online forums that host intimate image abuse—often aimed at humiliating women and girls—are now required to adhere to new guidelines designed to curb its spread. Ofcom has announced it will revise its codes of practice, compelling service providers to detect and eliminate intimate image abuse, commonly referred to as "revenge porn," and to clamp down on AI-generated deepfakes. A surge in deepfakes occurred in January when Elon Musk's Grok AI was extensively used to produce sexualised videos of women in bikinis.
Persistent Challenges for Victims
Women and girls have long voiced the difficulty of having distressing images and videos shared without their consent removed from public websites. Ofcom has warned that such content is becoming more prevalent, with generative AI exacerbating the issue, and stressed an "urgent need to reduce the spread of intimate image abuse online."
Legal Pressure and Regulatory Response
The updated code follows a threatened legal challenge against the regulator by the campaign group End Violence Against Women (EVAW). Their lawyers argued that Ofcom was "failing to tackle these sites and failing in its obligations to protect women and girls." Intimate images are defined as those depicting nudity or a sexual act, a person's genitals, buttocks, or breasts covered only with underwear, or someone using the toilet.
In February, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that deepfake nudes and revenge porn must be removed from the internet within 48 hours, or tech firms risk being blocked in the UK. He described the issue as a "national emergency" that the government must confront.
Technological Measures and Future Steps
Ofcom is now urging sites to employ "hash-matching" technology, which identifies violating intimate images shared without consent and automatically prevents their further circulation. These guidelines aim to end what Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on Monday called a "never-ending nightmare" for victims of intimate image abuse.
A particular concern for campaigners is niche online forums where individuals trade intimate images taken without consent. These forums often categorise women by location, such as village or university hall of residence, creating serious safety risks. The code is expected to take effect in the autumn, subject to parliamentary approval.
Reactions and Calls for Stronger Action
Ofcom's move has been welcomed by campaigners, but they argue the regulator should go further and mandate the use of technology to block the posting of such harmful content. Kendall stated: "Existing technology must now be used to put a permanent stop to intimate image abuse, by recognising illegal images and blocking them before they can cause further harm. No more excuses."
Rebecca Hitchen, EVAW's head of policy and campaigns, said the group welcomes Ofcom's efforts to strengthen its illegal content codes but noted that "its new recommendation ... is just that: a recommendation." She added: "We need to see the regulator take proactive action that has teeth, requiring tech companies to implement preventative measures or face consequences."
Claire Powell, a lawyer at Leigh Day representing a survivor of intimate image abuse, commented: "This is a recommendation rather than the concrete enforcement action that is needed. These forums are already consistently in breach of the Online Safety Act, but this won't shut them down. Further action by Ofcom is clearly needed."
