The government has announced plans for new laws to prevent under-18s from viewing or sharing nude images online.
Announced on Wednesday, safeguards would be built into smartphones and other devices, with protections against nudity switched on by default.
Under the legislation, technology companies will be required to block nude images across device features, including cameras and third-party apps. This means adults will have to verify their age before being granted access to such content.
Ministers have been in talks with Apple and google since June about introducing protections voluntarily. The government says progress has been made, but not quickly enough, and it will now prepare legislation.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: ‘I know parents are worried about their children being safe when they have a phone. The truth is that too often, they aren’t.
‘In June we asked the biggest technology companies in the world to do one simple thing: make it impossible for a child to take, send or see a naked picture. They have moved. But not far enough or fast enough. So we will hold them to account and will not hesitate to change the law.’
The plans come as reports of child sexual extortion continue to rise. The Internet Watch Foundation said last month it had received more reports linked to child sextortion in the first six months of the year than during the whole of 2025.
In 2024, 91% of online child sexual abuse reports received by the charity contained self-generated content from children.
Safeguarding Minister Satvir Kaur said: ‘There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe, both off and online.
‘This government will not row back on its ambition to deliver this. That is why we are pressing ahead with legislation to ensure technology firms meet the scale of the challenge to protect children.’
Image: Philipp Katzenberger/UnSplash
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