UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced world-first reforms that will require tech companies to block children from taking or sending nude images on their devices.
The plan, unveiled at London Tech Week, will give companies including Apple and Google three months to “activate built-in features” or “implement technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children.”
However, Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch said the proposal does not go far enough.
Here’s what you need to know.
Announcement
The UK Government’s Home Officesaid its proposal will prevent predators from exploiting victims through their devices, and stop children from accessing porn.
Tech companies will have three months to implement measuresvoluntarily. If they fail to do so, the Government will legislate the requirements.
Such laws would include non-compliance penalties including fines for companies. A Home Office statement said tech bosses could also be held criminally liable. “Nothing is off the table,” the statement said.
Starmer said it "is not an impossible challenge. These are the some of the most innovative companies in the world, and I believe they can solve it. But if they choose not to, then we will act and we will change the law."
"Because when it comes to the safety of our children, standing by is not an option. We will also make sure that our young people are equipped with the skills that they need in this new world," he said.
Technology
The kind of technology required to block children from taking, sharing or viewing naked pictures on their devices already exists. In some cases, like Google’s SafeSearch feature, this function is already in operation.
Last year, UK-based company SafeToNet launched HarmBlock, an AI tool built into smartphones designed to preventexplicit content from being filmed, viewed and shared in real time.
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SafeToNet’s co-founder Richard Pursey said HarmBlock has “proven” safeguards can prevent children from seeing, filming and broadcasting explicit content.
Response
Google said it’s working with UK partners on privacy-focused measures to help protect young people from harmful content.
Apple has already introduced similar safeguards. In the UK, users must prove they are adults through methods including ID scans and credit card checks, before changing certain safety settings or accessing apps with 18+ age ratings.
The measures were first introduced in Australia, Brazil and Singapore in February, before expanding to the UK.
Opposition
UK Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch said she doesn't “want to see children being able to send nudes”, but argued “the Prime Minister needs to go further”.
Badenoch said children under 16 should be banned from social media, rather than relying on what she described as “piecemeal measures” that tackle issues one by one.
The comments come as the UK continues to debate whether to introduce its own version of Australia’s under-16 social media ban.
Australia
Australia has already introduced similar online safety measures. In December, online safety codes came into force, requiring pornography and other adult content to be restricted to users aged 18 and over.
The rules also require search engines to blur pornographic image results by default, similar to a “safe search” setting.
Additional codes covering social media platforms, app stores, websites, AI services and generative chatbots took effect in March.
