UK Tech Firms Face 48-Hour Takedown Ultimatum

New legislation in Britain will compel major technology platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images within two days of reporting. Companies face significant penalties, including fines up to 10% of their eligible global revenue, and potential service disruptions if they fail to adhere to the new legal duty. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance protections for women and girls online.

The government aims to streamline the reporting process, requiring victims to report material only once. Platforms will be expected to remove identical images across their services and prevent their re-upload. The media regulator, Ofcom, is considering treating illegal intimate image sharing with the same seriousness as child sexual abuse and terrorist content.

Ofcom is also expediting a decision on implementing "hash-matching" tools to block illegal intimate images at their source, with new measures possibly effective by summer. These steps underscore Britain's commitment to combating online abuse and improving digital safety standards.