Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse
Women and Equalities Committee
Closed
Inquiry
This inquiry examines the impact of non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse on victims, and what steps internet platforms and the Government are taking to prevent and tackle NCII. It will also consider the extent to which the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, will be effective …
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23
Recommendations
5
Conclusions
1
Report
3
Oral sessions
29
Letters
3
Events
Activity timeline 37 events
14 Jan
2026
2026
14 Jan
2026
2026
17 Jun
2025
2025
4 Jun
2025
2025
20 May
2025
2025
7 May
2025
2025
3 Apr
2025
2025
5 Mar
2025
2025
Report published
26 Feb
2025
2025
12 Feb
2025
2025
6 Feb
2025
2025
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
20 Nov 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Alex Davies-Jones · Ministry of Justice
Gisela Carr · Home Office
Jess Phillips MP · Home Office
Laura Weight · Ministry of Justice
Professor Clare McGlynn · University of Durham
Professor Lorna Woods · Essex Law School, University of Essex
Samantha Millar · National Police Chiefs' Council
6 Nov 2024
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Women and Equalities Committee
Courtney Gregoire · Microsoft
David Wright · SWGfL
Gail Kent · Google
Sophie Mortimer · Revenge Porn Helpline
8 May 2024
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Non-consensual intimate image abuse; Women and Equalities Committee
David Wright · The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC)
Georgia Harrison
Keily Blair · Only Fans
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Report – Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse | HC 336 | 5 Mar 2025 | 28 | Overdue |
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
2
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme's offence list outdated, excludes online harms
The list of offences that are within scope of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is out of date. Crimes perpetrated online, such as non-consensual intimate image abuse, can be just as damaging to a person as those involving physical violence. …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to expand the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to include online offences like NCII, stating it would fundamentally alter the scheme's purpose and that its current scope is broad enough for some online exploitation cases involving violence.
Government Equalities Office
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3
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Amend Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme eligibility to include online sexual offence claims
The Ministry of Justice must amend the eligibility criteria of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to bring claims from victims of sexual offences perpetrated online, specifically non-consensual intimate image abuse, within its scope. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26)
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Government Response
The government rejects amending the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme eligibility criteria to include online sexual offences and non-consensual intimate image abuse. They state this would fundamentally alter the scheme's purpose, which is for crimes of violence, and believe the current scope is broad enough for cases escalating to violence.
Government Equalities Office
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6
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Justification to legally align NCII with CSAM to prompt provider action
For internet infrastructure providers to take the threat of NCII seriously and block access to websites that refuse to take it down, we believe that there is justification in bringing NCII in line with CSAM in law. (Conclusion, Paragraph 56)
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to align NCII with CSAM in law, stating it does not believe criminalising possession would be effective due to practical difficulties and existing powers for image removal.
Government Equalities Office
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7
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Amend the Crime and Policing Bill to make possession of non-consensual intimate images an offence.
The Government should bring forward an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to make possession of NCII an offence, in addition to its creation. This will put NCII on the same footing as CSAM in how it is treated …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to amend the Crime and Policing Bill to make NCII possession an offence, stating that many functions are already covered by the Online Safety Act or existing civil routes, but will consider it further in the upcoming VAWG Strategy.
Government Equalities Office
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10
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Expand the Data Bill's solicitation clause to criminalise all image-based abuse offences.
The law on solicitation was unclear, incomplete and open to misinterpretation by law enforcement agencies and others. We welcome the Government’s proposals to introduce a specific offence of solicitation for synthetic content via an amendment to the Data (Use and …
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Government Response
The government rejects expanding the solicitation offence to all image-based abuse, stating that the Serious Crime Act 2007 already covers encouraging or assisting offences in England or Wales. The new Data Bill offence specifically targets requests for synthetic content to creators abroad, where a legal gap was identified, and the government has not seen evidence to justify a broader expansion.
Government Equalities Office
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11
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Introduce a swift, inexpensive statutory civil process for non-consensual intimate image abuse.
The Government should take a holistic approach to legislating against NCII abuse by introducing a swift, inexpensive statutory civil process, as has been established in other jurisdictions such as British Columbia in Canada. Doing so would recognise survivors’ wishes to …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for a new statutory civil process due to a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of the British Columbia model and because many functions are already covered by the Online Safety Act or existing civil routes. They consider the RPH and StopNCII to already serve as a dedicated registry for known NCII.
Government Equalities Office
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12
Conclusion
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Regulatory framework lacks a statutory body to support non-consensual intimate image abuse victims.
There is a gap in the UK’s online regulatory framework for a statutory body to support and champion the rights of individuals affected by non- consensual intimate image abuse, and to work alongside the courts in the civil regime. Such …
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Government Response
The government rejects the need for a new statutory body, stating that the Online Safety Act already contains strong provisions for user redress through mandated reporting and complaints systems for online services. They add that Ofcom has the scope to designate support organisations as 'trusted flaggers' to improve detection of illegal content, including NCII.
Government Equalities Office
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13
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Establish an Online Safety Commission to support individuals and oversee non-consensual intimate image content registry.
The Government should set up an Online Safety Commission, similar to the eSafety Commission in Australia, with a focus on support for individuals. The new Commission would act as a trusted flagger of NCII content on behalf of individuals that …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to establish an Online Safety Commission, arguing that the existing Online Safety Act provides strong user redress mechanisms. It states Ofcom's codes of practice already require service providers to enable reporting and complaints for illegal content, and that trusted flaggers can play a valuable role.
Government Equalities Office
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14
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Discuss Online Safety Commission proposals with Revenge Porn Helpline for potential collaboration or expanded role.
The UK already has an excellent organisation doing some of this work in the form of the Revenge Porn Helpline. The Government should discuss the proposals set out above with the RPH to determine what relationship the RPH could have …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that the Online Safety Act provides strong user redress mechanisms, including reporting illegal content and complaints, which Ofcom further details in its codes of practice. It suggests existing support organisations could be designated as trusted flaggers under Ofcom's framework.
Government Equalities Office
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15
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Explore funding options for the Online Safety Commission, including a levy on relevant bodies.
The Government should explore whether the funding for such a Commission could be generated, at least in part, by a levy on bodies within scope of the OSA on a similar basis to that which exists in other regulated environments. …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that the Online Safety Act already contains strong provisions for user redress and reporting illegal content, with Ofcom providing guidance and iteratively developing codes of practice. It highlights the role of trusted flaggers and existing support services.
Government Equalities Office
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17
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Extend legal definition of intimate image to include religious or cultural attire removal.
The Government should extend the legal definition of an intimate image to include images where “because of the person’s religious or cultural background, the person commonly wears particular attire of religious or cultural significance when in public; and the material …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation, citing the Law Commission's conclusion that criminalising such behaviour would cause too much uncertainty for law enforcement and the public, potentially leading to charges without malicious intent. It states that other offences may apply depending on the circumstances.
Government Equalities Office
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26
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Ofcom's proposals should require companies to accept non-consensual intimate image hash matching.
It is clear that some companies require further persuasion to accept NCII hashes. We welcome Ofcom’s plans to launch a consultation in spring 2025 on expansions to its Codes of Practice that would include proposals on the use of hash …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation, stating it cannot accept it on behalf of Ofcom, which is an independent regulator for Online Safety Act duties. It notes Ofcom's draft guidance already recommends hash matching and other measures for preventing NCII.
Government Equalities Office
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28
Recommendation
Rejected
4th Report – Tackling non-consensu…
Require tech companies to cleanse datasets of NCII and source data responsibly.
The private sector has innovated to create AI technology. It does not need to wait for legislation to catch up in order to safeguard individuals from harmful AI-generated content. As a starting point tech companies involved in AI content creation …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for tech companies to cleanse datasets and commit to responsible data sourcing, arguing that existing regulatory requirements under the Online Safety Act and data protection framework already apply. They state their approach is to regulate AI systems at the point of use through existing expert regulators, while continuing to engage with the tech sector on safety.
Government Equalities Office
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Correspondence 29 letters
14 Jan 2026
Correspondence from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice re, Criminal Policing Bill - Intimate Image Abuse, dated 08.01.2026
Parliament page
14 Jan 2026
Correspondence with Chief Executive, Ofcom, re, Non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated January 2026
Parliament page
17 Jun 2025
Correspondence from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice re, Govt. response to Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse report, dated 16.06.2025
Parliament page
4 Jun 2025
Correspondence to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice re, Govt. response to Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse report, dated 04.06.2025
Parliament page
7 May 2025
Correspondence from Vice President and Chief Digital Safety Officer, Microsoft, re deepfake porn, dated 25 April 2025
Parliament page
3 Apr 2025
Correspondence to Vice President and Chief Digital Safety Officer, relating to Bing search and deepfake images, dated 2 April 2025
Parliament page
26 Feb 2025
Correspondence from Minister, Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls and Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, re Crime and Policing Bill, dated 25 Feb 2025
Parliament page
12 Feb 2025
Correspondence from the Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, dated 6 Jan 2025
Parliament page
6 Feb 2025
Correspondence with Chief Executive, Ofcom re tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated December & January 2024-25
Parliament page
28 Jan 2025
Correspondence from Minister of State of Justice, re, Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 22 January 2025
Parliament page
8 Jan 2025
Correspondence from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice & Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Home Office: Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 20 December 2024
Parliament page
11 Dec 2024
Correspondence with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
Parliament page
24 May 2024
Correspondence to the Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Skills, Secretary of State for Justice and Chief Executive of Ofcom, relating to non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 24 May
Parliament page
24 May 2024
Correspondence from SWGfL, relating to the session on non-consensual intimate image abuse on 8 May, dated 24 May
Parliament page
10 May 2024
Correspondence to Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, relating to Non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 May 2024
Parliament page
8 May 2024
Correspondence from Patreon, relating to tacking non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 29 April 2024
Parliament page
8 May 2024
Correspondence from X (formerly Twitter), relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 25 April 2024
Parliament page
8 May 2024
Correspondence from Ofcom , relating to non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 1 May 2024
Parliament page
8 May 2024
Correspondence to Ofcom, relating to non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 23 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Match Group, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Zoom, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 4 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Vivastreet UK, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 4 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Pinterest, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Discord, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from OpenAI, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Adobe, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 10 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Twitch, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 11 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Google, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 17 April 2024
Parliament page
24 Apr 2024
Correspondence from Microsoft, relating to tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse, dated 12 April 2024
Parliament page