UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given technology companies until September to introduce stronger protections that prevent children from taking, sharing, or viewing explicit images on their mobile devices, warning that the government will legislate if firms fail to act.
Speaking at London Tech Week on Monday, Starmer said companies such as Apple and Google must install effective safeguards, including nudity-detection technology and age-verification systems, on smartphones and tablets sold in the UK.
Under the proposal, children would be unable to send, receive or access sexually explicit images, while adults would still be able to do so after completing an age-verification process.
Starmer said the government was determined to tackle online harms and protect young people from sexual exploitation, grooming and exposure to pornography.
“For too long, people have been told that this is simply the price of modern technology and that nothing can be done,” he said. “I reject that completely. Technology should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way around.”
The prime minister warned that if companies do not introduce the necessary protections within three months, the government will bring forward legislation requiring all devices sold in the UK to include the safeguards.
The move follows growing concerns about the impact of online content on children and comes just weeks after former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips resigned. In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised the pace of government action, saying proposals to prevent children from taking explicit images of themselves had been delayed despite being developed by officials more than a year ago.
The Home Office said the planned measures would help prevent online predators from exploiting children and reduce access to harmful content. Ministers have pointed to emerging technologies, such as HarmBlock software developed by UK firm SafeToNet, as proof that stronger protections are achievable.
While Apple and Google already offer some safety features for younger users, critics argue these protections can often be bypassed and do not cover all third-party apps, including messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
If implemented, the policy would make the UK one of the first countries to require device-level protections against explicit content for children. The initiative would complement the Online Safety Act, which already requires digital platforms to remove illegal and harmful material.
The government says the goal is to ensure children can benefit from technology without being exposed to serious online risks.
For more details, visit New Dailyprime