New law from Friday means your WhatsApp group chat may now 'be illegal'

From Friday, November 6, new pornography laws in England and Wales could make it a criminal offence to possess certain sexually explicit material on a phone, after it is received in WhatsApp group chats. A legal expert warned that even if a person never asked for an image, an automatically saved file could still remain on their device and later lead to prosecution. Criminal defence specialist Ruth Peters of Olliers Solicitors said her firm has seen around 10 ongoing cases where phone content discovery had serious consequences. In one example, an image received via a group chat led to a caution and further checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service. The changes also create offences covering categories including strangulation, incest-themed material, and adults posing as under 16.