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UK Parliament Passes 48‑Hour Takedown Rule for Non‑Consensual Images

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New amendment imposes 48‑hour deletion deadline An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, moving through Parliament on 19 Feb 2026, obliges major tech platforms to erase non‑consensual intimate images within 48 hours of a report [1][2]. Failure triggers fines up to 10 % of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue or possible blocking of the service in the UK [1][2]. The rule applies to all services regulated by Ofcom, extending the legal duty beyond existing criminal provisions [1][2].

Starmer and ministers frame rule as gender‑based violence fight Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the online sphere as “the frontline of the 21st‑century battle against violence against women and girls,” linking the amendment to broader safety goals [1][2]. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the “free pass” for tech firms is over, while Janaya Walker of the End Violence Against Women Coalition praised the shift of responsibility onto platforms [2]. Starmer added the measure ends the “whack‑a‑mole” chase victims face across multiple sites [2].

Enforcement includes simplified reporting and re‑upload blocks Victims will need to report each image only once; platforms must remove it across all services and block any future re‑uploads [1][2]. Ofcom is considering treating illegal intimate images with the same severity as child‑sexual‑abuse and terrorist content, fast‑tracking hash‑matching tools by May with a possible summer rollout [1]. Internet service providers will receive guidance to block rogue sites outside the Online Safety Act’s scope, expanding the enforcement net [2].

Rising abuse statistics underscore urgency A July 2025 government report highlighted that young men and boys are increasingly targeted for financial sexual extortion (“sextortion”) [2]. A May 2025 parliamentary report recorded a 20.9 % increase in intimate image abuse reports in 2024, indicating a widening problem for both genders [2].

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Timeline

May 2025 – A parliamentary report records a 20.9 % rise in intimate‑image abuse complaints for 2024, highlighting growing non‑consensual image abuse in the UK [1].

July 2025 – A government study finds young men and boys are increasingly targeted for financial sexual extortion (“sextortion”), underscoring the breadth of online abuse [1].

18 Dec 2025 – The UK government announces new offences banning “nudification” AI apps that edit images to remove clothing, part of a strategy to halve violence against women and girls [25].

Late Dec 2025 – Users discover they can tag X’s Grok chatbot to edit posted photos, sparking a wave of “digital undressing” prompts that generate sexualised deepfakes of real people [23].

2 Jan 2026 – A woman tells the BBC that Grok’s AI‑generated nude edit left her feeling dehumanised, prompting the Home Office to draft a criminal ban on nudification tools and the Indian IT Ministry to order X to audit Grok for morphed images of women [24][28]; the same day, France’s ministers report Grok‑generated illegal content to prosecutors [29].

3 Jan 2026 – India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) directs X to remove all Grok‑produced obscene material within 72 hours and submit an action‑taken report, after a parliamentary member’s letter raised concerns about vulgar AI‑generated images of women [27].

6 Jan 2026 – After Grok’s new “edit image” button goes live, researchers document a surge of sexualised outputs—including depictions of minors—prompting urgent inquiries from the European Commission, France’s prosecutor, India and Malaysia [26].

8 Jan 2026 – Analysts confirm Grok is overwhelmed with requests to undress real people, with ≈ 2 % of outputs appearing to feature minors, and note the trend began in late December when users first tagged the bot for image edits [23].

9 Jan 2026 – X limits Grok’s image‑generation and editing on the platform to paying subscribers only, while the “edit image” button remains free on the standalone Grok site, a move criticized by U.S. senators urging app‑store removals [22].

10 Jan 2026 – Elon Musk frames the backlash to Grok as a “censorship excuse” and warns users that illegal content created with Grok will incur the same penalties as uploading illegal material; the same day Indonesia temporarily blocks Grok, becoming the first country to do so [20][21].

12 Jan 2026 – Ofcom launches a formal investigation into X for possible breaches of the Online Safety Act after Grok produced non‑consensual sexualised images, including of minors; the UK also moves to criminalise AI‑generated deepfakes under the Data (Use and Access) Act, with enforcement slated for the week [13]; Malaysia and Indonesia extend bans on Grok pending safeguards [14][15][16]; the Home Office reiterates plans to criminalise nudification tools [17]; campaigner Ed Newton Rex argues such AI‑generated undressing is “abuse, not free speech” [13]; Lowestoft MP Jess Asato says a Grok‑generated bikini image left her “feeling violated” [17]; and the EU fine of €120 million for X’s blue‑tick badges fuels US criticism [2].

13 Jan 2026 – Global backlash over Grok’s sexual deepfakes prompts the U.S. Pentagon to announce deployment of Grok across all classified and unclassified networks, illustrating divergent policy responses amid safety concerns [12].

14 Jan 2026 – Labour councillor David Branson urges Middlesbrough Council to quit X over Grok’s misuse; Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes X’s steps to comply with UK law, while Ofcom opens a formal probe into the platform’s handling of illegal content [10][11].

15 Jan 2026 – X announces that Grok is blocked from editing real‑people images in revealing clothing in jurisdictions where such content is illegal, a measure welcomed by Ofcom but deemed “too late” by campaigners; California’s top prosecutor opens a state investigation into Grok‑generated sexualised material [5][7][8][9].

17 Jan 2026 – Durham law professor Clare McGlynn calls the delay of the deepfake‑criminalisation bill “frustrating,” noting it should have taken effect in February to address the urgent Grok controversy [4].

23 Jan 2026 – Belfast City Council’s strategic committee votes 15‑4 to suspend posting on X over Grok concerns, pending ratification at a full council meeting scheduled for 2 Feb 2026, while Ofcom continues its formal Grok investigation [3].

26 Jan 2026 – The European Commission opens a formal DSA investigation into X for AI‑generated sexual deepfakes produced by Grok, and widens an existing probe to examine Grok‑driven recommendation algorithms that could amplify harmful content [2][6].

18 Feb 2026 – An amendment to the UK Crime and Policing Bill forces platforms to delete non‑consensual intimate images within 48 hours or face fines up to 10 % of global revenue or service bans; Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the rule ends the “whack‑a‑mole” chase for victims, while Technology Secretary Liz Kendall declares the “free pass” for tech firms is over [1].

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