Everyone has the right to live, learn and work in safety, free from abuse, harm and neglect

Cyberflashing

The practice typically involves offenders sending an unsolicited sexual image to people via social media or dating apps, but can also be over data sharing services such as Bluetooth and Airdrop. In some instances, a preview of the photo can appear on a person’s device – meaning that even if the transfer is rejected victims are forced into seeing the image.

What is Cyberflashing…

Lorraine Crighton-Smith, received two pictures of an unknown man’s penis on her phone via Apple’s Airdrop sharing function. She explains the incident to the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

Fitness influencer Elle Edwards has spoken to the BBC about dealing with explicit private messages and cyber-flashing – the non-consensual sending of pictures and videos of a person’s genitals.

She said that she and many of her peers are forced to deal with this form of abuse daily in their comments and direct messages.

The law has changed

Cyberflashing – involves offenders sending an unsolicited sexual image to people via social media or dating apps, but can also be over data sharing services such as Bluetooth and Airdrop.

The offence of cyberflashing is now captured clearly by the criminal law – giving the police and Crown Prosecution Service greater ability to bring more perpetrators to justice. It follows similar recent action to criminalise upskirting and breastfeeding voyeurism with the Government determined to protect people, particularly women and girls, from these emerging crimes.

Laws now classify ‘Cyberflashing’ as a criminal offence with perpetrators facing up to two years behind bars under laws to be introduced by the Government.

Online Safety Bill will include new cyberflashing offence
Maximum sentence of two years in prison
Part of wider Government efforts to ensure laws keep pace with emerging crimes