If an intimate image is shared online without your consent, you can demand that it's removed within 48 hours, under a new law to protect women and girls.
Today (18 February), the government has announced that tech platforms must detect and remove intimate images shared without consent – and that platforms have 48 hours to remove such material once it has been flagged.
The timing is significant. Nearly two weeks ago, I stood outside 10 Downing Street as Jodie*, a survivor of deepfake abuse, handed in a petition, launched in partnership with Glamour, EVAW, Professor Clare McGlynn, and Not Your Porn, calling for a dedicated Image-Based Abuse Law, which would, at a minimum, introduce 48-hour takedown orders against tech companies who host so-called 'revenge porn' or deepfake abuse.
In an exclusive statement to Glamour, Tech Secretary Liz Kendall said, “I want to thank Glamour and the survivors and campaigners who have fought tirelessly for change. You called for rapid 48-hour takedowns and we have listened and we have acted, your voices have been heard.
“The days of tech firms having a free pass are over. We are determined to make the internet a space where women and girls can feel safe, respected and protected.”
Jodie* tells Glamour, "“For too long, victims of intimate image abuse have been told to be patient while sexually explicit photos of them circulate, reappear, and re-traumatise. The promise today from government that images must be removed within 48 hours – and that survivors will only have to report their images once – is something campaigners in the UK and around the world have fought for over many years.”
“Now, time will tell whether platforms are truly held to account when they fail to comply, and whether the government follows through on its commitment to enforcement, including blocking access to sites that refuse to act.
“I hope these protections extend beyond mainstream social media platforms to chat sites, messaging services, and any space where this abuse can be perpetrated. We know that abusers do not respect platform boundaries and T&Cs, so the response must reflect the realties of this.”
“This is an important step forward, but for survivors, safety will only be realised when the law is enforced consistently, platforms are proactive, and the burden no longer falls on victims.”
Janaya Walker, Interim Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, has welcomed the news, telling Glamour:
“This is a welcome and powerful move to uphold women and girls’ rights when faced with image-based sexual abuse. This abuse – and the threat of it – has a chilling effect on our participation in public life.
"This announcement rightly places the responsibility on tech companies to act. It is the tech companies that have profited from this harm. And it is thanks to the work of survivors and campaigners who have fought hard for the government to hold tech companies to account.
“We now need to see the government go a step further and implement a mandatory code of practice on violence against women and girls that is futureproofed against emerging harms.”
Professor Clare McGlynn, a world-leading expert on violence against women and girls, tells Glamour, “Image-based abuse is life-shattering and for too long, platforms have enjoyed impunity. This now ends. The powerful statement from the Prime Minister recognises the harms of image abuse and requires platforms to remove content within 48 hours. This is how we change the culture and improve the everyday lives of women and girls.”
Jessica Davies, a survivor of image abuse, describes the new law as, "A welcome change that can help hand back the power to victims over their bodily autonomy and their digital footprint.
She continues: "The nature of this crime means that the constant paranoia around where your images have been shared never leaves you, and you live your life on edge, shackled by the fear and worry of being re-traumatised again each time your image is distributed online without your consent.
“It is long overdue for big-tech to take responsibility for the harm being perpetrated on their platforms, and operate a safety-by-design approach that puts the safety of their users at the forefront of innovation.”
Elena Michael, co-founder and Director of #NotYourPorn, tells Glamour, "This is a huge win for everyone who fought hard to change the law to better tackle image-based sexual abuse.
“Huge thanks and credit must be given to Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge who (supported by survivors, experts, campaigners and the Image Based Abuse Law Campaign partners) brought amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill which pushed the government into action. We are lucky to have Baroness Owen championing this issue. There’s still so much left to do but this is a monumental step forward in tackling this type of violence holistically.”
In a statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “As Director of Public Prosecutions, I saw firsthand the unimaginable, often lifelong pain and trauma violence against women and girls causes. As Prime Minister, I will leave no stone unturned in the fight to protect women from violence and abuse.”
He concludes, “Violence against women and girls has no place in our society, and I will not rest until it is rooted out.”
Minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said: “Intimate image abuse devastates lives. These new measures send a clear message: tech platforms can no longer drag their feet. When harmful content is flagged, it must come down, and fast.
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She continued: “By requiring companies to remove non‑consensual intimate images within 48 hours, we are finally putting the onus where it belongs – on the tech firms with the power and resources to act.
“It’s a vital step towards making the online world safer, fairer, and more respectful for women and girls.”
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra or on TikTok at @lucyalexxandra.
For the past three years, Glamour has been raising the alarm on image-based abuse, partnering with the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Jodie Campaigns, Professor Clare McGlynn, and Not Your Porn to call for a comprehensive Image-Based Abuse Law.
