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Wera Hobhouse urges expanding Online Safety Act for covert filming

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 6:12 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse sent an open letter urging stronger covert-filming legislation.
The letter, signed by Refuge and Women’s Aid, warned that related videos have amassed over 3 billion views.
It asked Prime Minister Andy Burnham to expand the Online Safety Act to regulate abusive algorithms.
Police cannot prosecute covert filming because current law does not criminalise it.
A 2024 Greater Manchester Police voyeurism arrest collapsed in January 2026.

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Story summary

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse sent an open letter urging stronger covert-filming legislation.
The letter, signed by Refuge and Women’s Aid, warned that related videos have amassed over 3 billion views.
It asked Prime Minister Andy Burnham to expand the Online Safety Act to regulate abusive algorithms.
Police cannot prosecute covert filming because current law does not criminalise it.
A 2024 Greater Manchester Police voyeurism arrest collapsed in January 2026.