Cyberflashing is a Priority (offence): Changes under the OSA

On 29 September 2025, the government announced that cyberflashing will be added to the existing list of priority offences under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA).  

Cyberflashing is a criminal offence involving the sending of unsolicited sexual images to others on online platforms, with the intent to cause alarm, distress or for sexual gratification. It has been an increasing problem over a number of years, and, in more recent times, has also been affecting children, with recent government survey results stating that 1 in 3 teenage girls say they have received unsolicited pictures of male genitals at least once. 

Cyberflashing is currently a non-priority offence under the OSA and providers have a duty to mitigate the risk of harm of these offences and take down violating content. The re-classification announced by the government means that stricter action will be required from online companies in relation to cyberflashing, as priority offences under the OSA are treated as more serious illegal activities that companies must take proactive measures to prevent users from encountering.  

Providers who fall within the scope of the OSA will need to take steps to minimise the risk of users encountering the illegal content. In particular, this change will affect user-to-user service providers, such as social media companies and dating app providers. The government has stated that it expects companies to tackle these images for example by using automated systems that pre-emptively detect and hide the image, implementing moderation tools or stricter content policies. 

While we are yet to see a date for the re-classification to come into force, companies should begin preparing for the changes. We anticipate further changes to be introduced by the government soon, particularly in line with their focus on protecting women and girls online. Providers should therefore keep their risk assessments up to date, continue to maintain robust governance procedures, and ensure they monitor and comply with OSA updates and new guidance provided by Ofcom.  

For further advice and information on the priority offences under the OSA, take a look at our online safety resource hub, The Safety Net.