Exeter charity highlighted in Parliament for tackling AI-generated image abuse

Exeter-based charity South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) has been highlighted in Parliament for its work preventing the spread of AI-generated sexual images and helping shape national policy.

During a debate on Monday, 12 January 2026, Exeter MP Steve Race described the charity’s Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse programme, which uses digital hashing technology to block abusive images from being uploaded to social media platforms. He urged the Government to encourage all platforms to adopt the system and promote it to users.

The discussion followed reports that the AI tool Grok, integrated into social media platform X, had been used to create and share synthetic sexual images of women and children without consent.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall responded that the programme “sounds like a very interesting and practical solution to many of the challenges we are discussing” and said she hoped Mr Race would send her further details.

READ NEXT: Yellow rain weather warning issued for Exeter as heavy downpours raise flood risk

In her statement to MPs, Ms Kendall called the creation of non-consensual intimate images “abhorrent” and confirmed that new offences criminalising their production would shortly come into force. 

The Government also plans to ban so-called “nudification” apps under the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently being examined in detail by a committee in the House of Lords. At this stage, peers scrutinise the Bill and suggest amendments before it returns to the Commons for further debate.

The Bill, which began in the House of Commons in 2024, covers offences including sexual abuse, stalking and online harms, and sets out new powers for the police and other authorities.

SWGfL runs StopNCII.org, a global system that allows individuals to create secure digital fingerprints, or hashes, of their images. 

These hashes are shared with participating platforms so that if the same image is uploaded, it can be automatically blocked. 

The technology has already been adopted by major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Microsoft Bing, Reddit, Snap and OnlyFans, and by March 2025, more than one million image hashes had been created worldwide.

The Exeter-based charity also operates the UK’s Revenge Porn Helpline, which provides specialist support to adult victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse. 

Demand for the service has risen sharply, with cases increasing from around 1,600 in 2019 to over 22,000 in 2024. 

Around 90 per cent of victims are women, often in cases involving former partners. 

While SWGfL reports a 94 per cent success rate in removing reported content, thousands of images remain online because many websites operate outside UK jurisdiction.

In an article published on Monday, 12 January 2026, SWGfL highlighted how Grok had been used to manipulate and sexualise photos without consent, including images of minors, raising serious ethical and legal questions about platform responsibility and AI governance. 

Sophie Mortimer, head of support services at SWGfL, said: “Without stronger platform accountability, enforceable legislation and wider industry collaboration, this kind of AI-generated harm will continue to proliferate. Innovation should not come at the cost of people’s safety.”

The charity also stressed that voluntary platform measures are insufficient, and urged X and other social media companies to fully implement StopNCII.org’s hashing and industry hash-sharing technology to prevent abusive content from spreading.

While the UK has legislated to criminalise the creation of synthetic sexual content under the Data (Use and Access) Act, these provisions have not yet been brought into force, leaving victims with limited legal protection. 

Ms Kendall confirmed that the measures would be commenced as priority offences under the Online Safety Act, but SWGfL said Ofcom must now use its powers to prevent further harm.

Following the debate, Mr Race said he was “proud” that Exeter-based expertise was helping shape the national response to online abuse and confirmed he would invite the Secretary of State to meet with SWGfL to explore how the Government and regulators can make greater use of its work.