UK plans law to block nude images on children’s devices

The UK government plans a new law requiring technology companies to prevent children from taking or sharing nude images on mobile devices.

Apple and Google, whose operating systems run most smartphones used in the UK, were given three months in June to block access to nude images on smartphones and other devices used by under-18s. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said existing proposals from both companies did not match the scale of the problem. Ministers intend to legislate “as soon as they can”, but may reassess the plans if companies develop and implement solutions sooner.

The draft legislation would also require providers of apps used by children to introduce similar blocks. The government said the measure would address device-level protections and the wider online ecosystem.

Apple said its Communication Safety feature launched in 2021 to help prevent children from seeing or sharing images containing nudity, and that it had continued to expand its capabilities. Google said it was an industry leader in combating non-consensual intimate imagery and advancing child safety.

Child-safety organisations welcomed the proposals. The NSPCC said content made on a child’s device can contribute to grooming, sexual extortion and other online abuse. Privacy campaigners warned that implementation could require age checks, digital identity systems and default scanning of private images. The government denied that the change would amount to surveillance.