Top executives in the pornography industry could potentially be sentenced to prison if they do not remove private images shared without consent. The UK Government has introduced amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill aimed at curbing the online abuse of women and girls. Under these changes, senior managers could be held criminally responsible if their platforms do not comply with directives from Ofcom to delete non-consensual images, without a valid excuse.
Furthermore, the legislation will make it illegal to produce and distribute pornographic material depicting incest and scenarios where adults portray children. Home Office Minister Jess Phillips emphasized the detrimental impact such content has on survivors and criticized the profiteering off these images by tech companies and abusers. She highlighted the urgency to hold those accountable for hosting and benefitting from such content.
In addition to these measures, executives in the tech industry may face personal liability if their platforms do not adhere to Ofcom’s orders to remove offensive images distributed without consent. The amendments also extend to criminalizing the possession and dissemination of content showing incestuous relationships and simulated sexual acts involving adults pretending to be minors.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stressed the government’s commitment to safeguarding women and girls online and emphasized the need for tech companies to act responsibly in protecting individuals from abusive content. The government’s actions include enforcing a 48-hour removal policy for reported non-consensual intimate images and introducing stricter measures to hold senior tech executives accountable for non-compliance with regulatory directives.
Baroness Bertin, Lead reviewer of the Independent Pornography Review, expressed support for the government’s efforts to address harmful pornographic content, such as incest and simulated child abuse scenarios, which she deemed damaging and normalization of abusive relationships within families.