Former Love Island star Georgia Harrison has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce a new law creating an immediate online kill switch for non-consensual intimate images.
The 31-year-old reality personality met Mr Burnham at 10 Downing Street to propose replacing the current 48-hour reporting window on social media platforms with immediate removal of unconsented content.
Harrison, who was the victim of non-consensual intimate-image abuse by her former partner Stephen Bear, told the Prime Minister she has first-hand experience of the damage and life-changing devastation caused while images remain online during that two-day delay.
During the meeting last week, Harrison argued that intimate image abuse should be treated with the same level of severity by tech companies and the government as terrorist abuse material and child sexual abuse material.
Under the proposed legislation, which Harrison wants named Georgia's Law, any reported unconsented image would be paused and removed immediately. The burden of proof would then shift to the individual who uploaded the content to demonstrate that consent was given.
If the uploader proves consent, the material could be restored online. If consent cannot be proven, the content remains down and the evidence is forwarded to the victim for potential use in court proceedings.
Explaining the decision to name the legislation Georgia's Law, Harrison noted that a victim searching for help at 3 a.m. searches for a recognisable name rather than an act of parliament.
Meeting at Downing Street
Reflecting on the current system during her meeting with the Prime Minister, Harrison said: "I'm currently working on hopefully launching a new law. When it comes to intimate image abuse, currently if a woman or man has an unconsented picture on any sort of social media platform, when they report it they then have to wait 48 hours for that footage to come down. That's two whole days."
She added: "As someone who has experienced those two days and the damage and life changing devastation that can happen, I just don't think it's right and when you look at terrorist abuse material as well as child sexual abuse material, it doesn't take two days for that to come down and the government promised they would treat intimate image abuse, just as seriously."
Harrison asked Mr Burnham directly: "So my final question to you, is do you think the benefit of doubt should be given to the person in the picture or the person who took it?"
Mr Burnham agreed with the core principle, replying: "Of course it should be the former, it's clearly the right principle, non consented images should not be in broad circulation around the system."
However, the Prime Minister acknowledged there is currently no plan to implement a bill with immediate effect.
"Now I can't, again I'm going to be honest with you, while I support Georgia's Law, I can't say to you right we can implement this now and there's this bill in parliament, I can't say that," Mr Burnham said.
He continued: "But I can say to you that I agree with everything you're trying to achieve, and the young women, let's be honest it could be men, but it's majority women, the young women that you are trying to protect and support their mental health, I'm with you in seeing if we can make that happen. Let's work together on it is all I'll say."
Harrison expressed her gratitude during the exchange, saying "I appreciate that" before telling Mr Burnham: "You're so easy to talk to, and very genuine and I'm so excited that you're running our country."
Fighting for Victims' Rights
Sharing a video of the meeting on social media alongside a statement, Harrison wrote: "I asked the Prime Minister to help me make Georgia's Law a reality. This week I had the opportunity to sit down with our new Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, and I finally got to put Georgia's Law directly on the table."
She explained: "The idea is simple: a 'kill switch' that could help victims of intimate image abuse stop their content from being repeatedly shared and viewed online. Right now, once an intimate image is out there, victims can be left feeling like they're fighting an endless battle to get it back under control. I know what that feels like."
Harrison acknowledged that while the campaign is in its early stages, having Downing Street engagement was a major milestone. "Georgia's Law is still at the very beginning, but having the Prime Minister listen to the idea and say he'd be willing to work with me on it feels like a pretty amazing way to get the ball rolling," she wrote.
"There's a long way to go, but if we can make this work, I genuinely believe it could give victims something incredibly important back, control," Harrison added. "Going from fighting to get my own images removed to sitting in Downing Street fighting for a solution for everyone else is a moment I'll never forget. Now the real work starts."
Legal History of Stephen Bear
Harrison's campaign follows her legal battles against her former partner Stephen Bear, 36, a former reality TV personality.
Bear was jailed last month after admitting five counts of failing to comply with sex offender register notification requirements.
Thames Magistrates' Court sentenced Bear to 24 weeks in prison, coming barely a week after he received a 16-month sentence for repeatedly breaching a restraining order against Harrison.
In 2023, Bear was sentenced to 21 months in prison and handed a five-year restraining order after being convicted of sharing a private sex tape of Harrison on his OnlyFans page. A judge also ordered him to repay £22,305 that prosecutors said he earned from subscribers.
Following his release from prison, Bear breached the restraining order by repeatedly posting degrading comments about Ms Harrison on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Bear also failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements. He did not inform police about a trip to Brazil last year and then failed to tell officers within three days that he had returned to the UK. He also failed to mention that he had acquired a new passport and two bank cards during the trip.
