It’s a fact of life that at any given time, a woman’s social media messages will be filled with three things. Young Ponzi schemers asking if you want to earn £500-a-month from the comfort of your own sofa; an unknown jewellery brand with 15 followers begging you to be their new ‘brand ambassador’; and blurry photos of a man’s penis.
The men who send these pictures are weirdos, obviously. But if the government gets its way, soon they’ll also be criminals. The Online Safety Bill, going through parliament today, makes so-called ‘cyberflashing’ a criminal offence. According to the government, the new law will mean that: ‘Anyone who sends a photo or film of a person’s genitals, for the purpose of their own sexual gratification or to cause a victim humiliation, alarm or distress will face a maximum jail sentence of two years in prison.’
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has said: ‘Protecting women and girls is my top priority… making cyberflashing a specific crime is the latest step – sending a clear message to perpetrators that they will face jail time.’
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