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Possession of non-consensual intimate photos (NCII) must be made a legal offence, placing it on the identical footing as youngster sexual abuse materials, a brand new report from the Ladies and Equalities Committee has stated.
The cross-party parliamentary committee stated strengthening the regulation round NCII was the easiest way to make sure web infrastructure suppliers took the problem severely and block entry to websites internet hosting such materials.
In its report, the committee stated that whereas many platforms take away NCII content material voluntarily, some fail to take action, and that round 10% of content material stays on-line and accessible within the UK – and solely a change within the regulation to put such content material on the identical footing as youngster sexual abuse materials may shut the hole.
Sarah Owen, chair of the ladies and equalities committee, stated that whereas it was “welcome” that the Government was proposing making creating NCII an offence, a “authorized hole” nonetheless existed.
“NCII can flow into on-line years after the picture was first posted. Whereas many websites will finally take away the content material when prompted, round 10% don’t,” she stated.
“There’s nothing within the Authorities’s proposals within the Crime and Policing Bill to deal with this concern. The Authorities ought to convey ahead amendments to the Crime and Policing Invoice to make possession, in addition to the creation, of NCII an offence.
“This ensures NCII receives the identical authorized therapy as youngster sexual abuse materials and — we hope — will present the required encouragement to IIPs to dam or disrupt entry to such content material, together with that which is hosted abroad.”
As a part of a variety of suggestions in its report, the committee known as for a brand new voluntary steering to be created for web infrastructure suppliers on the best way to deal with NCII abuse – much like youngster sexual abuse materials – with the Authorities encouraging suppliers to observe it, and legislating on such steering if not sufficient companies reply.
The committee stated the Authorities must also increase the authorized definition of NCII to incorporate materials that’s thought of “culturally intimate” for the sufferer, reminiscent of a Muslim girl being pictured with out her hijab.
As well as, it known as for the creation of a web-based security fee to behave as a flagger of NCII content material on-line and supply assist to people.
“The Authorities must also arrange an On-line Security Fee to assist people,” Ms Owen stated.
“The UK already has a superb organisation doing a few of this work within the type of the Revenge Porn Helpline, and the Authorities ought to focus on whether or not the RPH could be given extra assets to tackle the position of the Fee itself.
“There’s additionally an pressing want for courts to confiscate units storing NCII content material. There have been circumstances the place, following the legal justice course of, perpetrators have had units containing the NCII returned to them.
“That is harrowing for victims. The Authorities, Sentencing Council and Crown Prosecution Service should every take steps to make sure that these charged with NCII offences are disadvantaged of that materials.”
A Authorities spokesperson stated: “Sharing intimate photos on-line with out consent is an abhorrent violation that may inflict profound and lasting hurt on victims, significantly ladies and women.
“Final yr we strengthened legal guidelines to make sure platforms should take steps to proactively take away this materials, and we now have launched new offences to make it unlawful to take intimate photos, set up tools, or create deepfake photos with out consent.
“Ladies have the precise to really feel protected wherever they’re, in each the web and offline world. This Authorities is set to make that occur.”
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