United Kingdom: Office of Communications accelerates timeline for proactive technology requirement for illegal intimate images in Illegal Harms Code

On 18 February 2026, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) announced it would fast-track its decision on a proposed requirement for tech firms to use proactive technology to block illegal intimate images at source. The proposed requirement would oblige sites and apps to deploy a technology known as "hash matching" to detect intimate images shared without consent, including explicit deepfakes. Ofcom consulted on this requirement as part of a broader range of additional online protections in the preceding year. Ofcom will announce its final decision on the proactive technology requirement in May 2026. Subject to the parliamentary process, any new Illegal Harms Code measures would be expected to come into force as soon as Summer 2026. Decisions on the remaining additional online protections, including proposed new protocols for tech firms to respond to spikes in illegal content during a crisis, will follow in autumn 2026, as planned.