The uk government has given major tech companies including Apple and Google a three-month deadline to introduce stronger controls that prevent children from taking, sending, or viewing nude images on smartphones and tablets.
The move is part of a wider online safety push put in place to tighten child protection rules across devices and apps used by minors. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said technology companies must act quickly to install or activate safety systems that can detect and block nude content involving children, or the government will move to introduce legislation to enforce compliance.
Officials say the plan is designed to make it impossible for under-18 users to create, share, or access explicit images on their devices, including through messaging apps and social platforms.
The government’s position is that existing safeguards are not strong enough to prevent children from being exposed to sexual content or from sharing explicit images under pressure or manipulation.
Under the proposal, companies would be expected to roll out device-level controls or built-in detection systems across smartphones and tablets sold in the uk. Adults would still be able to access such content through age verification systems.
The announcement was made during a speech at London Tech Week, where Starmer said tech firms have both a technical and moral responsibility to protect young users from online harm.
He warned that if companies fail to act within three months, new legislation will be introduced, potentially including fines and stricter enforcement measures.
The policy forms part of a broader set of online safety reforms being considered in the uk, including tighter rules around social media access for under-16s and stronger age verification requirements for sensitive content.
Officials argue that the rise of smartphones among young users has created new risks, especially around the sharing of explicit images between minors, often referred to in policy discussions as “sexting” or image-based abuse.
Supporters of the move, including child protection organisations, say stronger device-level controls could reduce exploitation risks and limit the spread of harmful content among children.
However, the proposal is also expected to raise debate around privacy and how far technology companies should go in scanning or analysing content on personal devices.
Some critics argue that device-level scanning could introduce concerns about overreach, false detection, and the balance between safety and personal privacy.
Tech companies such as Apple and Google have previously introduced limited safety features, including content warnings and parental controls, but the uk government appears to be pushing for more uniform and mandatory systems across all devices.
The plan also reflects a wider global trend where governments are increasing pressure on big tech firms to take responsibility for online safety, especially when it comes to protecting children.
In recent years, several countries have introduced or proposed stricter online safety rules, focusing on age verification, content moderation, and platform accountability. The uk’s latest move places direct responsibility on device makers and operating system providers, rather than only social media platforms or websites.
If implemented, the policy could change how smartphones operate for minors in the uk, with automatic restrictions applied at device level from the moment a phone is set up. For now, tech companies have three months to respond before the government decides whether to turn the proposal into enforceable law.
The coming weeks are expected to see discussions between regulators and major technology firms as they attempt to agree on how the system would work in practice without disrupting device usability for adults or raising major privacy concerns.
The outcome may shape how child online safety rules are designed not only in the uk, but in other countries considering similar regulations.
