Screenshotting intimate images without consent may soon be illegal in the UK.
In February 2026, the UK government announced bans on incest porn and other explicit images within the UK’s Crime and Policing Bill. Although not yet law, it’s sparking online discussion, especially after the previous year’s Online Safety Act introduced age verification.
Mashable consulted experts on these new bans and their significance.
On Feb. 23, the UK announced a ban on incest porn and other explicit content, outlining these in a letter to the House of Lords.
The amendment bans incestuous pornographic images, including those pretending to depict relatives, and applies to step-relatives. Possession could lead to fines or up to two years in prison, publishing could lead to five years.
This ban faces social media backlash. One user criticized it, while another sarcastically pointed out the irony of a royal country banning incest art.
This ban is part of broader reforms addressing mainstream porn content, akin to past strangulation porn bans, says Clare McGlynn, a law professor at the University of Durham.
Additionally, new amendments aim to prohibit intimate image abuses, like screenshotting intimate images without consent and sharing semen-defaced images.
Jessie Gretener, a sex educator, stressed the necessity of new image-based sexual abuse legislation to protect fundamental human rights.
The UK’s Office of National Statistic reported 900,000 sexual offenses from 2024 to 2025, with actual numbers likely higher.
The importance of these offenses being recorded, according to Gretener, is partly due to previous Online Safety Act legislation.
The law aims to protect individuals from harmful content exposure, says sex educator Reed Amber.
The ban on semen-defaced images covers both actual and AI-generated images. Amber shared her experience of receiving such images non-consensually, emphasizing personal privacy invasion.
McGlynn described the offense as recognizing and addressing the abuse and harassment women face online.
A further amendment seeks to outlaw “nudification tools.” This carries a maximum three-year prison term and/or a fine.
The Crime and Policing Bill still requires further legislative stages before becoming law. Given the previous Online Safety Act impacts—like Pornhub blocking itself—the trend of stricter regulations is expected to continue.