Ofcom has opened an enforcement program to monitor whether online platforms are deploying automated controls intended to stop illegal intimate images, including explicit AI-generated deepfakes, from being shared in the UK.
The communications regulator said covered services should have hash-matching technology in place by September 30. The measure forms part of strengthened Illegal Content Codes of Practice under the Online Safety Act.
Hash matching converts an image into a numerical digital fingerprint and compares it with fingerprints of material already identified as abusive. A match can allow a platform to block a known image or a closely related copy before it is distributed again, without requiring the underlying image to be exchanged each time.
Ofcom’s codes recommend that certain services use an established database such as StopNCII, a system that lets a person create hashes of intimate images on their own device. Participating platforms can then detect matching uploads while the original image remains with the person reporting it.
The regulator announced the recommendation in May and has now moved into active monitoring as the implementation date approaches. Ofcom said it will assess whether firms have introduced appropriate measures and may take enforcement action when a service fails to meet its legal duties.
The program covers non-consensual intimate imagery and explicit deepfakes, placing automated detection within a broader set of measures addressing AI-enabled abuse. Authorities in several countries have increased regulatory and criminal scrutiny of platforms that enable sexualized synthetic images.
Ofcom plans a separate consultation by the end of 2026 on further changes to its Illegal Harms Codes. That work will reflect legislation requiring platforms to remove reported non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours.
The enforcement effort also illustrates how online-safety rules increasingly depend on technical signals rather than declarations alone. Other systems are using privacy-preserving age brackets supplied by operating systems to limit access to age-restricted services.
Ofcom’s immediate deadline concerns hash matching for illegal intimate imagery. The regulator will use the new program to oversee implementation across relevant sites and apps as the strengthened codes take effect.
Sources: MLex
–
By the ID Tech Editorial Team
