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People who send unsolicited sexual images face up to 2 years in prison under new law
Research has found that 75.8% of girls in the UK have been sent unsolicited nude images of boys or men
The government is clamping down on those who send unsolicited sexual images by making the act a criminal offence.
Known formally as ‘cyberflashing’, the crime involves sending an unsolicited sexual image or video – commonly known as ‘d**k pics’ – to a victim through social media, dating apps or using data sharing services like Bluetooth and Airdrop.
Ministers confirmed last night that sending these unsolicited sexual images to people via social media or dating apps will become a criminal offence as part of its Online Safety Bill, adding that the measure will be added to existing plans to improve online protections.
The bill will also put more legal responsibility on social media platforms, search engines and other websites to tackle a range of illegal and harmful content on their services.
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The new move will apply to England and Wales – cyberflashing has been illegal in Scotland since 2010.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said protecting women and girls is his ‘top priority’, saying in a statement: “It is why we’re keeping sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, giving domestic abuse victims more time to report assaults and boosting funding for support services to £185m per year.
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“Making cyberflashing a specific crime is the latest step… Sending a clear message to perpetrators that they will face jail time.”
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries added: “Tech has the power to bring people together and make our lives better, but it can also enable heinous behaviour from those who wish to abuse, harm and harass.
“The forthcoming Online Safety Bill will force tech companies to stop their platforms being used to commit vile acts of cyber-flashing.
“We are bringing the full weight of the law on individuals who perpetrate this awful behaviour.”
This comes after research by professor of sociology Jessica Ringrose found that a staggering 75.8% of girls aged between twelve and eighteen in the UK have been sent unsolicited nude images of boys or men.
Ringrose’s 2020 report stated that ‘many’ girls said it was ‘relatively easy to laugh off adult men who send you unwanted images’, saying they only had to block them or report them as paedophiles.
Visit the Gov.uk website for more information on the updated Online Safety Bill.