Non-consensual intimate image sharing and the need for robust safeguarding solutions
What is non-consensual intimate image abuse?
Non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse sharing, also known as “image-based sexual abuse”, is the unauthorised sharing, distribution, or publishing of explicit images or videos of a person without their permission. It is not only a severe violation of personal privacy but also a form of harassment that can lead to lasting emotional trauma for victims. With the rise of smartphones, encrypted instant messaging and social media, such incidents have become alarmingly widespread, affecting people of all ages.
How non-consensual image sharing often occurs
Imagine a teenager who has recently entered a relationship and, like many young people, is navigating the complexities of romance in a digital age. Their partner convinces them to share an intimate image, assuring them it will remain private. However, when the relationship ends, the former partner—often motivated by anger, hurt, or a desire for revenge—shares the image with others or posts it online. In an instant, a private moment becomes public, and the victim finds themselves exposed to strangers online, with their image shared and circulated beyond their control.
In cases involving highly explicit images or videos, this situation may fall under what is commonly known as “revenge porn.” Although less common, non-consensual sharing can also occur when strangers or malicious actors obtain images through hacking, phishing, or other means of unauthorised access. Once such images are distributed, they become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove from the internet, leading to lasting harm and distress for victims.
How can we combat NCII abuse?
Addressing non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses both prevention and mitigation. Improved education on the risks, more secure technology, legal interventions, and proactive and responsive online platforms are needed.
Education and awareness
Raising awareness about the risks and lasting effects of sharing intimate images online is essential, especially among young people. Schools, parents, and other influential figures in society play a vital role in promoting digital privacy practices and reinforcing that no one should feel pressured to share intimate images—often the most effective way to prevent this type of abuse from occurring. Teaching individuals that, once shared, these images may remain accessible indefinitely can discourage impulsive decisions and help avoid regret.
However, there is also a growing concern about synthetic images created with AI, or “deepfakes,” which can be used to exploit even the most cautious individuals. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive education and ongoing support to empower individuals to protect themselves in an evolving digital world.
Stronger platform policies and controls
Social media and messaging platforms are already evolving to implement advanced reporting tools and privacy settings, but there is room for further improvement. To better protect users, platforms should prioritise user safety by implementing technologies that help restrict the sharing of explicit images or introducing platform mechanisms that prompt users to reconsider before sharing. Additionally, platforms must actively monitor reports of abuse and respond swiftly to address concerns.
Some platforms now employ automated content moderation systems designed to recognise and block the re-uploading of reported images, effectively safeguarding victims from further distribution. Industry-wide initiatives are also emerging to prevent the spread of abusive content by using encrypted notifications to flag specific images across platforms. This approach allows images to be identified as abusive without requiring the image itself to be viewed by staff at other platforms, reducing the risk of compounding the original harm.
Legal protections and accountability
Many countries are updating their laws to criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, aiming to provide victims with legal pathways that not only penalise offenders but also facilitate the removal or blocking of unauthorised content. While legal action alone cannot entirely prevent these incidents, robust legal consequences serve as a powerful deterrent, underscoring society's commitment to privacy and condemning such violations.
In the UK, for example, the government announced in September that sharing intimate images without consent—already illegal under Section 68b of the Sexual Offences Act—will be made a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act. This designation requires social media companies to proactively detect, remove, and prevent the appearance of this material on their platforms, reinforcing the government’s stance on protecting individuals' privacy in the digital sphere.
Digital literacy and privacy protection skills
Encouraging digital literacy is a powerful strategy to combat non-consensual image sharing. Teaching individuals—especially young people—how to manage privacy settings, use strong, unique passwords, and recognise social engineering tactics can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to personal images.
Privacy-focused tools, such as encrypted messaging apps and disappearing messages, also provide an added layer of security. However, it’s crucial to understand their limitations; for instance, screen recording and capture functionalities are not always disabled, and even if they are, a device’s screen can still be recorded externally. Educating users about these nuances helps prevent a false sense of security and encourages a more comprehensive approach to digital safety.
Online safety technology can help prevent non-consensual image-sharing
Online safeguarding solutions are increasingly critical in preventing the spread of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) and protecting vulnerable users across digital platforms.
Age assurance
Age assurance, which involves verifying or estimating a user’s age, is one key approach, especially for platforms frequented by younger users. By verifying the age of their users, platforms can implement an age gate by restricting minors' access to certain sites, such as adult sites or dating apps, where they may be more likely to encounter image-sharing requests.
Additionally, age assurance can help deter predatory behaviour by making it harder for adults to pose as peers and target young individuals for explicit content. Knowing the age demographics of users allows platforms to create age-appropriate experiences - for example, by implementing more tailored privacy settings with stricter defaults for younger users to limit unsolicited messages and control image-sharing permissions.
Content moderation and consent management
Beyond age assurance, content moderation and consent management tools are also essential in the fight against NCII. Platforms can leverage a combination of automated and human content moderation to prevent uploaders from publishing illegal content on user-generated content platforms - ensuring a safe, trustworthy, and compliant online experience for everyone. By identifying and flagging illegal, inappropriate or harmful material more effectively, platforms can reduce the chance of non-consensual images spreading unchecked - and ideally before it’s even uploaded in the first place.
Consent management tools can further empower user control, using face match technology to identify individuals within uploaded content. They can prevent content from being published if consent is not associated with all individuals within the content, which is particularly effective with non-consensual image sharing and ensuring banned users remain off a platform.
Together, these technologies can strengthen online safety by creating environments that discourage the unauthorised sharing of intimate images and uphold the privacy and consent of all users.
Verifymy are here to help
Spanning age assurance, identity verification, content moderation and consent management, Verifymy offers frictionless, trustworthy solutions for online platforms to maintain their integrity, protect their reputation and safeguard their users.
If you are an online platform, Verifymy can help with the effective implementation of these technologies. Together, we can work to eradicate online harms and safeguard children and society online.
Contact us to learn more.