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Tackling Image-based Abuse

12 November 2024

Lead MP

Kirith Entwistle
Bolton North East
Lab

Responding Minister

Alex Davies-Jones

Tags

ImmigrationPolicing & ResourcesJustice & Courts
Word Count: 4413
Other Contributors: 8

At a Glance

Kirith Entwistle raised concerns about tackling image-based abuse in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

The Labour Government should take decisive steps to address image-based abuse, including banning the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes, making image-based abuse a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, and introducing an image-based abuse law with stay-down provisions and a national online abuse commission.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Bolton North East
Opened the debate
Image-based sexual abuse is an escalating crisis with a significant impact on women and girls. In 2023, the Revenge Porn Helpline reported nearly 19,000 cases of abuse, up from just 1,600 in 2019. Deepfake-related abuse has surged by 400% since 2017, targeting women and girls over 99% of the time. Survivors often describe their experience as digital rape, highlighting a failure to ensure permanent removal of abusive content, weak regulatory enforcement, and lack of civil remedies for survivors.

Government Response

Alex Davies-Jones
Government Response
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton North East for securing a debate on this very important subject. I look forward to discussing it with her and other members of the Women and Equalities Committee later this month. This Government are absolutely committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and to restoring trust so that victims know that the justice system sees them, hears them and takes them seriously. In our election manifesto, we promised to make tackling violence against women and girls a political priority—finally, after years of neglect—with a pledge to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade. Tackling online abuse is crucial; many of us have experienced it or know friends or family who have. Women have the right to feel safe in every space, online and offline. The rise in intimate image abuse is utterly devastating for victims but also spreads misogyny on social media, which can develop into potentially dangerous relationships offline. It is an abhorrent crime, which is why the Government are determined to act. We will use all tools available to tackle it. First, we need effective criminal law; a range of offences address intimate image abuse, whether online or offline, but there are gaps in protection for victims. For example, while sharing a deepfake of an intimate image without consent is an offence, making one is not. The Government's manifesto includes a commitment to ban the creation of degrading and harmful sexually explicit deepfakes, which we will deliver swiftly in this Session of Parliament. We also need to tackle the prevalence of such content online by holding platforms responsible for stopping its spread under the Online Safety Act. Ofcom's codes of practice are being developed, with enforcement powers including fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying global revenue. The police must respond robustly; we will strengthen training on violence against women and girls. We also need a culture shift, especially from men, to ensure women are safe wherever they are. When someone has been the victim of intimate image abuse, they should get support, including through Government-funded helplines and specialist support organisations like Refuge. The Ministry of Justice funds services such as the rape and sexual abuse support fund and police and crime commissioners provide annual grant funding for local support services. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 will improve support to victims of sexual abuse, including intimate image abuse, by placing a duty on local commissioners to collaborate when commissioning support services so that victims and survivors get the support they need.
Assessment & feedback
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.