UK enforces tougher rules on tech firms and dating apps to block unsolicited nudes. Dating apps and social media companies must now actively block unsolicited nude images before they reach users, as new UK regulations classify cyberflashing as a priority offence under the online safety act. The law, effective starting thursday, 8 january, shifts responsibility from reactive moderation to proactive prevention. Key takeaways: * Tech platforms face fines up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance or potential UK service blocks * Companies must deploy automated detection systems, moderation tools, or enhanced content policies to prevent unsolicited sexual images * One in three teenage girls has received unwanted sexual content, with women and children bearing the brunt of this abuse The regulation mandates that platforms stop harmful content at the source rather than addressing violations after victims have already seen them. Companies can implement solutions like AI-powered detection systems that automatically identify and blur nude images, similar to Bumble's Private Detector feature launched previously. Bumble pioneered explicit cyberflashing moderation through its Private Detector tool, which uses artificial intelligence trained on extensive datasets to identify nudity in chat images. When detected, the system automatically blurs the content and alerts recipients, who can then decide whether to view, block, or report it. The training process aims to minimize false positives. "We've cracked down on perpetrators of this vile crime - now we're turning up the heat on tech firms. Platforms are now required by law to detect and prevent this material," said Liz Kendall, Technology Secretary. "The internet must be a space where women and girls feel safe, respected, and able to thrive." Elymae Cedeno, VP of Trust and Safety at Bumble, emphasized the daily reality for many users: "Receiving unsolicited sexual images is a daily violation that disproportionately impacts women and undermines their sense of safety online. Strengthening the law to make cyberflashing a Priority Offence is an important step toward ensuring platforms proactively address this behaviour to better protect members." Cedeno added: "As part of our long standing safety commitments, Bumble introduced features like Private Detector, which uses AI to identify and blur nude images in chats, giving members greater control over what they see. We hear regularly from our community about the impact of this behaviour, and we welcome measures that increase accountability and help create a safer digital environment." Ofcom will now develop codes of practice detailing specific platform requirements for protecting users from unwanted sexual imagery. The priority offence designation gives the regulation additional enforcement weight. The legislation addresses a pervasive problem affecting primarily women and girls. Statistics reveal that one in three teenage girls has encountered unsolicited sexual images, demonstrating the scale of digital harassment. Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls Jess Phillips framed the measure as a prevention-first approach: "For too long cyberflashing has been just another degrading abuse women and girls are expected to endure. We are changing this." Phillips continued: "By placing the responsibility on tech companies to block this vile content before users see it, we are preventing women and girls from being harmed in the first place. We will deploy the full power of the state to make this country safe for women and girls, both online and offline." The regulation supports the government's broader initiative to halve Violence Against Women and Girls within ten years, outlined in the cross-government strategy "Build a Safer Society for Women and Girls" published 18 December. The strategy explicitly committed to designating cyberflashing as a priority offence. This enforcement approach treats the digital environment with the same seriousness as physical spaces, rejecting the notion of a law-free internet zone. By requiring prevention rather than reaction, the regulation aims to eliminate exposure to harmful content entirely rather than simply punishing offenders after damage occurs.

ChatGPT latest user perk sparks controversy. How does an adults-only ChatGPT setting sound to you? Sam Altman said on X that this new artificial intelligence dating feature will launch this December, joining the recent trend of dating apps powered by AI. Meta, for instance, said it would be expanding Facebook Dating by adding an AI dating assistant in September. The Instagram and Facebook giant wants to compete with dating appx like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, all of which have already incorporated AI. "2023: AI will cure cancer. 2025: soon we will achieve AI erotica for verified adults," said user Dr J Rould on X. Altman was quick to qualify his statement following the response: Ok, but what exactly will ChatGPT's adult-mode look like? I thought you'd never ask (kidding, what a world): The new setting is really an extension of a slew of age-gated settings to begin rolling out "a few weeks" from today. The adults-only variant will specifically allow ChatGPT to have "a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o," said Altman. It will only be available to verified adults. While going on a date with ChatGPT might seem dystopian, AI is already infiltrating its lives in ways Atkinson Properties Group wouldn't expect. AI presence in dating apps. Name a dating app you've heard of. Chances are, it has some kind of AI feature. Top 5 dating apps by revenue in 2025 per Sensor Tower: Depending on who you ask, dating apps are currently either dying or thriving. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, the reality is that they are increasingly relying on AI innovations to beat their competition. "Today, people use artificial intelligence to write their grocery lists, college term papers, and résumés; it was only a matter of time before it became part of the search for love," writes Annie Louie Sussman of The Cut. "People use AI to write their dating profiles and to practice flirting, as conversational aides and dating coaches. Dating apps are integrating AI features that can help users pick the right photos or urge them to expand on a reply or tone down the creepiness." No matter the specific functionality, the growing presence of AI in dating apps has been supercharged by a new global trend in the industry. Dating app's anti-swipe moment. Oft-mocked but used even more, the swipe was the great early innovation of the dating app. Now, its popularity may be waning, especially with Gen Z users. Check out the decline in value over the last four years for Match Group and Bumble, the two publicly traded heavyweights in the field. A recent report cites 'swipe-fatigue' and a desire for more curated matches as a potential cause of this decline. Match and Bumble might be wise to listen to these demands if they want to remain at the top. Both brands have recently seen executive turnover in search of a solution. Bumble reinstated its founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, as CEO in January, and the Match Group pulled in Zillow's Spencer Rascoff for its top spot in February. Wolfe Herd discussed the swiping issue in Bumble's Q2 earnings call: The trend away from swiping has been spearheaded by insurgent, newer-on-the-scene apps like Cerca, Raya, and, believe it or not, Facebook Dating. Cerca's approach matches based on mutual friends, Raya creates a sense of exclusivity because it requires a referral, and Facebook Dating eschews swiping for AI and algorithm-driven date recommendations. Regardless of the numbers, legacy brands are in a fight as they battle not only each other but also AI chatbots like ChatGPT. AI may be part of the answer if they want to keep up with these upstarts. But, they'll have to back it up with good, old-fashioned reading of the trend tea leaves to make sure their integrations lead to features today's users actually enjoy. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 1:07 PM.

Alongside the campaign, Bumble has rolled out a refresh of its app.