Crackdown on Cyberflashing: UK's Tough New Online Safety Rules

The UK is enforcing new online safety rules requiring tech firms to block unsolicited sexual images, prioritizing cyberflashing as a criminal offense. Globally, there's a crackdown on AI-generated deepfake content, with France investigating Elon Musk's X platform over illegal imagery.

In a decisive move, the UK is set to enforce stringent online safety regulations compelling tech companies to prevent the distribution of unsolicited sexual images. This measure, effective from Thursday, targets cyberflashing, a criminal offense defined earlier this year, which can lead to a two-year prison sentence for offenders.

Under the new rules of Britain's Online Safety Act, key platforms including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X, as well as dating and adult sites, are mandated by law to detect and block this content, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasizing a digital space where women and girls feel secure.

Globally, concerns about AI-generated deepfake imagery are rising, as evidenced by France launching an investigation into X over explicit content created by its chatbot Grok. The European Commission is reviewing Grok's controversial features, while UK officials demand prompt action against these intimate fabrications.

(With inputs from agencies.)