Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 26
4th Report – Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse
Published 5 Mar 2025
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
It is clear that some companies require further persuasion to accept NCII hashes. We welcome Ofcom’s plans to launch a consultation in spring 2025 on expansions to its Codes of Practice that would include proposals on the use of hash matching technology to prevent the sharing of NCII. We are clear in our view that those proposals should include requiring companies to accept the hash matching technology to prevent NCII on their services. (Conclusion, Paragraph 126) 56
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 4th Report – Tackling non-consensual intimate image abuse (HC 336), 5 March 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 May 2025 (deadline 5 May 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government gives a mixed response, rejecting a majority of the recommendations while accepting some in full or in part and pointing to existing provisions and the forthcoming VAWG Strategy.
- On the Revenge Porn Helpline, it records "Partial acceptance" and is providing £300,000 for 2025/26 (up from £210,000), with funding beyond that "determined through the Spring Spending Review".
- It rejects bringing online sexual offences and NCII within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, saying this would "fundamentally alter the purpose of the Scheme".
- It rejects a statutory civil process, citing "little evidence" about the British Columbia model and overlap with existing routes, but says it "will consider this further" in developing the VAWG Strategy.
- It accepts the recommendation on nudification apps, saying it is "actively looking at options" and "will update the Committee on this in due course".