Liz Kendall MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The legislation is clear: it is illegal to share or attempt to share. It will be illegal to create or attempt to create. The nudification apps will be banned, too. We are crystal clear: VPNs or not, the platforms have to make sure that their duties under the law are fulfilled. That is what this issue is about, and we are determined to ensure that the full force of the law is felt.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  The legislation that we in this House voted for, the Online Safety Act, gives Ofcom those powers. I would expect a swift timeline and for any investigation to be done as soon as possible; people in this country, including victims, do not want to wait months. The legislation gives Ofcom the power to apply to a court for serious business disruption measures, and it is really important that that happens. Let us also not forget that X does not need to wait for any of this in order to act—it needs to do so immediately.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question. I set out in my statement the steps that can be taken. A formal investigation has been launched, as the public would expect—I want to see that report ASAP—and there are clear powers in legislation to fine such companies up to 10% of their worldwide qualifying revenue, alongside the backstop power. The right hon. Gentleman will know that other countries are taking a range of actions. Indonesia and Malaysia have introduced temporary bans, while other countries are amending their legislation to give them similar powers to us. People are making it very clear that they want to put pressure on. All that will send a clear, single message. I just hope that MPs on both sides of the House agree with it, so that we might protect all women and girls.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  By backing the law, not calling for it to be scrapped, which is what the hon. Lady’s party wants.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend has raised a really important issue, which I am happy to discuss with her further. What she says is exactly what is happening in this country. I know that many Members have not had a chance to ask a question, but I will find a way to enable them to ask that question, and I will secure a response through the Department—including my parliamentary private secretaries—because I know how passionately all Members care about this issue, and I want to continue the debate.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  Yes, and I refer the hon. Lady to my statement, which I think spelled out in detail all the action we are taking.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I am sure that Ofcom knows only too well the expectation not only of this House, but more importantly of the country and victims, that action must be taken. We will continue to make that point.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  One hundred per cent.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  Opposition Members, and many of my colleagues on the Government Benches, have called for a ban on social media for the under-16s. That is not currently the Government’s policy, but I will always be driven by the evidence. I am closely monitoring the evidence, including where similar action has been taken in other countries. We are very concerned about screen time, and today we have announced that for the first time ever we will have new guidelines for screen use for the under-fives. We are very worried, including from recent evidence, that children under two who have the highest levels of screen time are struggling more with language. We are determined to take action, but I will always be driven by the evidence.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is another amazing campaigner on these issues. She is right to raise the issue of speed. I think I am correct in saying that the legislation expects platforms, when they know that this material is there, to take it down swiftly. It is interesting to note that the Take it Down Act that has been passed in the United States has a 48-hour time limit on non-consensual intimate image abuse. I always look at what is happening in other countries to see what more we can learn.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  That sounds like a very interesting and practical solution to many of the challenges we are discussing. I hope that my hon. Friend will send me more details.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  With permission, I would like to make a statement on artificial intelligence, social media and online safety. No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology, yet in recent days the AI tool Grok on the social media platform X has been used to create and share degrading, non-consensual intimate deepfakes. The content that has circulated on X is vile. It is not just an affront to decent society—it is illegal. The Internet Watch Foundation reports “criminal imagery” of children as young as 11, including girls sexualised and topless. This is child sexual abuse. There have been reports of photos being shared of women in bikinis, tied up and gagged, with bruises and covered in blood, and much, much more. Lives can and have been devastated by this content, which is designed to harass, torment and violate people’s dignity. They are not harmless images; they are weapons of abuse disproportionately aimed at women and girls, and they are illegal. Last week X limited the image creation function to paid subscribers, but this does not go anywhere near far enough. It is insulting to victims to say that someone can still have this service if they are willing to pay. It is also monetising abuse. Let me be crystal clear: under the Online Safety Act 2023, sharing or threatening to share intimate images without someone’s consent, including images of people in their underwear, is a criminal offence for both individuals and platforms. My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hove and Portslade (Peter Kyle), rightly made this a priority offence, meaning that services have to take proactive action to stop this content appearing in the first place. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 made it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non-consensual intimate images, and today I can announce to the House that this offence will be brought into force this week and that I will make it a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, too. That means that individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create or seek to create such content, including on X, and anyone who does that should expect to face the full extent of the law. But responsibility does not just lie with individuals for their own behaviour; the platforms that host such material must be held accountable, including X. This morning, Ofcom confirmed that it has opened a formal investigation into X and will assess its compliance with the Online Safety Act 2023. The Government expect Ofcom to set out a timeline for the investigation as soon as possible. The public and, most importantly, the victims of Grok’s activities expect swift and decisive action, so the investigation must not take months and months, but X does not have to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude; it can choose to act sooner to ensure that this abhorrent and illegal material cannot be shared on its platform. If it does not, Ofcom will have this Government’s backing to use the full powers that Parliament has given it. I remind X and all other platforms that those include the power to issue fines of up to 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue, and in the most serious cases, Ofcom can apply for a court order to stop UK users accessing the site. This Government will do everything in our power to keep women and especially children safe online. I can confirm that we will build on all the measures that I have outlined and will legislate in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is going through Parliament, to criminalise nudification apps. A new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools designed to create non-consensual intimate images, targeting the problem at its source. In addition to our taking all those actions, we expect technology companies to introduce without delay the steps recommended in Ofcom’s guidance on how to make platforms safer for women and girls. If they do not, I am prepared to go further, because this Labour Government believe that tackling violence against women and girls is as important online as it is in the real world. This is not, as some would claim, about restricting freedom of speech, which is something that I and the whole Government hold very dear. It is about tackling violence against women and girls. It is about upholding basic British values of decency and respect, and ensuring that the standards that we expect offline are upheld online. It is about exercising our sovereign power and responsibility to uphold the laws of this land. I hope that MPs on both sides of the House will stand up for British laws and values and call out the platforms that allow explicit, degrading and illegal content. It is time to choose a side. Opposition MPs can either support the legislative action that we are taking through the Online Safety Act, or they can ally themselves with those who think that the creation and publication of sexually manipulated images of women and children is acceptable. I say in particular to the one Reform MP in this Chamber that if Reform continues to call for the Online Safety Act to be repealed, it is shamefully supporting scrapping protections that keep women and children safe. I would briefly like to address the understandable calls from many MPs and others for the Government to end their participation on X. I really do understand why many colleagues have come to this conclusion when X seems unwilling to clean up its act. The Government will keep our participation on X under review. Our job is to protect women and girls from illegal and harmful content, wherever it is found. It is worth bearing in mind that 19 million people in this country are on X, and more than a quarter of them say that they use it as their primary source of news, and our views—and often simply the facts—need to be heard wherever possible. Let me conclude by saying this. I believe, and the Government believe, that artificial intelligence is a transformative technology that has the power and potential to bring about extraordinary and welcome change—to create jobs and growth, to diagnose and treat diseases, to help children learn at school, to tackle climate change and so much more besides—but in order to seize those opportunities, people must feel confident that they and their children are safe online, and that AI is not being used for destructive and abusive ends. Many tech companies want to act, and are acting, responsibly, but where they do not, we must and will act. Innovation should serve humanity, not degrade it, so we will leave no stone unturned in our determination to stamp out these demeaning, degrading and illegal images. If that means strengthening existing laws, we are prepared to do that, because this Government stand on the side of decency. We stand on the side of the law. We stand for basic British values, which are supported by the vast majority of people in this country. I commend this statement to the House.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  That was my fault; I did not hear the question. We will see. I believe that this ban can be enforced. We have comprehensive legislation that is probably stronger than that in almost any other country, and it now needs to be enforced.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I am sure that Ofcom will hear loud and clear my comments and the comments of the hon. Lady and others that we expect the law of this land to be upheld and enforced, and done swiftly.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  We are closely monitoring what is happening in Australia. Banning social media for under-16s is not currently our policy, but of course we are looking at the evidence. I am particularly concerned about the addictiveness of social media and its impact on mental health. However, we also need to talk to young people themselves; some are acutely aware of the problems, but do not want it banned. I also hear organisations such as the Molly Rose Foundation and the NSPCC, which worry that a ban would push things deeper underground and that there would be a cliff edge when young people reach 16. We need to take all these issues into account, and I will always be driven by the evidence.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I will definitely meet anyone who has evidence about that and what we need to do.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I hope that we do not get to that stage; I hope that X abides by the law and that Ofcom uses the powers that it has. That is extremely important, and we want to see that as quickly as possible. I am so sorry, but could the hon. Gentleman say the second part of the question again?

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I believe Ofcom does have the powers and funding to do that, but this technology is developing rapidly, which is why I have said to the House that I will keep monitoring it. Where we see gaps, we will plug them; doing so is so important for the country.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  This is all about upholding British values and British law, not restricting freedom of speech. It is about enabling women not to feel bullied and threatened, so that they can participate. Reform wants the Online Safety Act 2023 to be scrapped. Its leader has said that the way forward is just to talk to the platforms and tell them that this is not the way forward. So much for strong leadership. I wonder why that is its position.