UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer tells technology companies, including Apple and Google, to introduce protections to stop children accessing or sharing sexually explicit images on devices. Multiple outlets report that Starmer expects firms to rely on “built-in” or device-level tools that prevent children from taking, sending, receiving, or viewing nude or sexual content. Coverage says Starmer’s approach is presented as a voluntary requirement with an announced deadline, reported as September.
If companies do not comply, the government intends to bring forward legislation requiring such protections to be included on phones and tablets sold in the UK. Some reporting also says there could be penalties for non-compliance, with senior managers potentially subject to criminal liability, though the details are attributed to reporting rather than confirmed across all sources. The warnings are framed as part of wider efforts to protect children from online sexual exploitation, while some accounts note adults could retain the ability to view or share nude content after age verification.
All sources situate the measures alongside the UK’s existing Online Safety framework, which requires platforms to manage illegal or harmful content affecting children.
