Britain will become the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude photos on their smartphones, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced. In a major speech to tech chiefs in London, Starmer gave firms like Apple and Google an ultimatum to activate software that blocks explicit pictures and video for kids. If they fail to do so within three months, he warned, the government will introduce new laws with potential jail terms for bosses.
Moral Responsibility for Tech Giants
Starmer said the software giants have a moral responsibility to protect youngsters from online predators. This comes as campaigners warn that youngsters increasingly face pressure to share intimate images, which are often used by online abusers to blackmail them. The Prime Minister told the audience at London Tech Week that "standing by is not an option."
He said: "For too long, people have been told that is simply the price of modern tech, that nothing could be done, that government is powerless, that parents just have to accept it. I reject that completely because tech should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way around. And so if we're serious about unlocking the opportunities that tech can bring, then we must also be serious about protecting our children from those who look to abuse it, from the online predators who target our children, and from the sexual abuse that they enable."
New Device Controls to Be Implemented
"That is why today I'm calling on tech companies operating in this country to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images. Because this is not an impossible challenge. These are 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."
Under the new restrictions, adults will have to go through a verification process in order to take, send or receive nude images. The age block will mean youngsters will not be able to access pornography on their phones and tablets. Software would block images being taken if the camera detects a child.
Growing Epidemic of Online Sextortion
UK law enforcement agencies are battling to tackle a growing epidemic of online sextortion, where young people are pressured into taking explicit images and then blackmailed. The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that 91% of online child abuse images were taken by the victim themselves. Campaigners warn that children as young as 11 are being targeted by people they know and complete strangers.
Roxy Longworth, now 23, was pressured into sending a photo at age 13 by an older boy at her school. The image was shared around, leading to ostracisation and mental health decline. Following Monday's announcement, she told The Mirror: "Whenever I've been asked to think about what could have stopped what happened to me, it's this. It's huge." She added: "For too long, young people have been treated as collateral damage in a race for growth, engagement and profit. These companies know the risks. We need to move away from the idea that online harm is an unfortunate side effect of innovation. If a company can prevent children from being exposed to grooming, exploitation, coercion and image based abuse, then it has a responsibility to do so."
Government and Charity Reactions
Former Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who quit last month criticising the government over delays, told The Mirror she was pleased action is finally being taken. She said: "No parent in the country would let their child go to a scout camp with a known paedophile, no teacher would allow a child to go home to a bedroom they knew would be the site of sexual abuse, but that's exactly what has happened when we hand our children smartphones without the proper protections."
The Home Office said tech giants must activate measures to protect kids without threatening privacy or collecting any data. It would mean a device would block harmful content across all apps and services. The changes will apply to UK devices, including both existing and newly sold smartphones and tablets.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "As a society, we have not kept pace with the changing threats that children face. Abuse online is far too common, and we will not tolerate it. Tech companies have a moral duty to act, by making it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images. If they don't, we will legislate."
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: "No parent should have to worry that giving their child a smartphone opens the door to abuse and exploitation. We are holding social media platforms to account and will soon announce our next steps to keep children safe online. But this doesn't stop with platforms; the devices themselves are part of the problem - and they can be part of the solution. Companies should switch these protections on by default, for every child, on every device. We are giving them three months to show us that they will do the right thing."
Children's charity the NSPCC said time is up for big tech. Chief executive Chris Sherwood said: "Online grooming, sexual exploitation and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material could be prevented if tech companies did the right thing and introduced nudity blocking technology on children's phones."
Criticism from Privacy Advocates
But critics have warned the government's demand amounts to 'population-wide ID checks for all of us to use our phones'. Big Brother Watch Director Silkie Carlo said: "Protecting children online is vital, but these are outrageous plans that will fail to address the underlying causes of online harm. This will only result in population-wide ID checks for all of us to use our phones, tablets and laptops. Put simply, the Labour Government is threatening ID checks for the internet. No one in a democracy should need to show their passport just to get online."
