Tougher crackdown

Great Britain declares war on revenge porn

The British government wants to oblige internet platforms to take tougher action against so-called revenge porn. Sharing intimate images and videos online without the permission of the person depicted is to be considered the most serious form of online crime in future, the Ministry of Technology announced in London.

With the classification as a "priority offense", companies are obliged to proactively remove criminal material from their websites. They must also take steps to prevent the images and videos from being uploaded again. Failure to do so could result in heavy fines.

The new online rules are due to come into force in spring 2025. The personal penalties will not change for the time being: revenge pornography in England and Wales carries a sentence of up to two years, in Scotland up to five years.

"Absolutely intolerable"
The government hopes that the stricter regulations will drive the development of technologies that increase online safety and at the same time help to combat sexual offences and the normalization of misogynistic content on the internet.

The increase in the unauthorized uploading of intimate images is "absolutely intolerable", said Technology Minister Peter Kyle. This also contributes to a misogynistic culture on social media.

In the UK, teachers' associations have been warning for some time that misogynistic and homophobic videos by influencers such as Andrew Tate are very popular with young people on social networks.