LONDON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The British government on Friday announced new legal measures to crack down on harmful online pornography, including criminalizing the possession or publication of pornographic content depicting incest and adults pretending to be children. The measures were tabled as amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.
The government said the new offenses form part of its broader effort to tackle abusive online content, protect children, and reduce violence against women and girls. Under the proposed amendments, publishing such content could carry a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Meanwhile, technology executives could also face personal liability, including imprisonment or fines, if their platforms fail to comply with enforcement decisions requiring the removal of intimate images shared without consent, the government said in a statement.
Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan said the government was moving to hold tech bosses accountable for preventing such abuse, adding, "This is not an optional requirement, it's a duty that every tech leader must take seriously." ■