Starmer Warns Tech Firms to Block Explicit Images on Children’s Devices or Face New Law

The UK government is continuing efforts to require tech companies to introduce stronger safeguards to stop children from taking, sending, or viewing explicit images on smartphones and tablets.

The policy forms part of a wider push on online child safety and violence against women and girls, with ministers arguing that device-level protections are needed rather than relying on user-controlled settings.

Pressure on Apple and Google to strengthen safeguards

Tech firms, including Apple and Google, already offer limited nudity detection tools and parental controls. Still, these systems do not fully block explicit content across all apps or services on a device.

Current protections can also be overridden or bypassed in some cases, particularly on teenage accounts, and do not consistently apply to third-party apps.

The government is therefore pushing for more comprehensive, system-level protections.

Political pressure and resignation controversy

The debate has been intensified by the resignation of the safeguarding minister Jess Phillips in May 2026.

In her resignation letter, she criticised what she described as slow progress, arguing that earlier proposals relied too heavily on encouraging tech firms rather than introducing binding legal requirements.

Legislation is still under consideration

While the government has indicated it may legislate if companies do not act, key enforcement details, including timelines and penalties, remain subject to ongoing development and political discussion.

Earlier discussions have included the possibility of stronger legal obligations for platforms and device manufacturers, but no final legislative framework has yet been confirmed.

A developing policy direction

The proposal reflects growing international concern about children’s exposure to explicit content online and the limitations of current platform-level safety tools.

However, the exact shape of UK regulation remains under active development, with continued debate over how far government should go in mandating device-level controls.