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ARTICLE · 02 MARCH 2026

Online Safety Reforms To Be Fast-tracked Amid Rising AI Risks

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

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In early 2025, the UK government announced it would introduce new laws to protect against the creation of sexually explicit AI content in the then Data Use and Access Bill.

United KingdomTechnology
Laura Harper
Laura Harper
Pearl Agyemfra
Pearl Agyemfra
Helen Hart
Helen Hart
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There has been a whirlwind of online safety developments in recent weeks.

In early 2025, the UK government announced it would introduce new laws to protect against the creation of sexually explicit AI content in the then Data Use and Access Bill. The government had also proposed provisions to ban the creation of intimate images of adults in the Crime and Policing Bill. The latter continues to pass through the parliamentary process. The proposed rules place criminal responsibility on individuals, but they were not originally going to make the AI models that create this material illegal.

As of February 6, 2026, creating or requesting the creation of intimate images of an adult without their consent is a criminal offence in the UK. This significant legal development is the result of new provisions in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 coming into force.

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