Big Tech Should Fund New Police Agency to Tackle Serious Online Crimes, Says Lib Dems

​A brand-new police agency dedicated to tackling serious online crime should be established and funded entirely by Big Tech and artificial intelligence platforms, according to proposals announced by the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, Max Wilkinson MP, outlined plans for an "Online Crime Agency" backed by approximately £250 million a year. The unit would be funded through a dedicated "online crime levy" targeting major tech companies and AI developers whose platforms enable digital offences.
​The proposed agency would target the most severe forms of web-facilitated crime, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), AI-generated "deepfake" revenge porn, and the online trafficking of illegal drugs and weapons.

​The policy shift comes in response to the latest strategic assessment from the National Crime Agency, which identified rapid technological developments as the primary driver of serious organised crime. Official figures show that 42% of all recorded child sexual abuse offences in England and Wales are now facilitated online, with referrals jumping 31% in 2025 compared to the previous two-year average. Recent reports from the Internet Watch Foundation also highlighted photo-realistic AI-generated imagery as a key catalyst behind the sharp rise in abuse material.

Wilkinson argued that Britain is facing an unprecedented surge in digital offences while social media and tech giants have routinely failed to take responsibility, leaving law enforcement overwhelmed and victims without justice.

​"For too long, Big Tech has got away with a slope-shouldered approach to serious online crime," said Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Max Wilkinson MP. "It's time they picked up the bill for a police agency dedicated to tackling the crime that creates so many victims."

​"The explosion in online crime is not being taken seriously enough and people up and down this country are paying the price. We urgently need specialist officers who can get a grip on the spread of child sexual abuse, and of drugs and weapons trafficking online."

​Under the party's plan, an injection of nearly £1 billion by early 2030 would fund hundreds of specialist officers, supply cutting-edge technology, and provide improved training for regional forces to detect cyber-offences earlier. Proponents argue that shifting the financial burden onto platform operators protects general income taxpayers while creating a direct financial incentive for tech firms to clean up their services.

​The Liberal Democrats also contend that a dedicated national agency would relieve pressure on frontline neighborhood policing. Currently, local officers are frequently diverted to handle complex online cases they are not specifically trained to investigate.

​"The reality is that local officers are being dragged off our streets to deal with a mess Big Tech has enabled — which is exactly why crimes in our communities like shoplifting and phone theft go unchecked," "Bringing in hundreds of new specialist officers would free up local forces to focus on the crimes plaguing their communities.” Max Wilkinson MP 

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