Starmer threatens tech giants with legislation: No more nude images of children on smartphones

At the same time, Starmer warned the industry of consequences if it did not take action itself. "We will act and change the law," he announced. When it comes to the safety of children, waiting is not an option. According to the government, it is examining both technical solutions and stricter rules to better protect children online.

What the government is specifically planning

According to the British Home Office, neither smartphone cameras nor messenger services such as Snapchat are currently able to automatically detect nude images and reliably block minors from sending or storing such content. As a result, children can still create, view, forward, and store such images.

The government announced that, if necessary, it will push through new legislation providing for financial penalties against companies that breach their duty of care. The Home Office also did not rule out personal liability for executives. Tech firms have a "moral obligation" to protect children from abuse, coercion, and extortion involving nude images.

Current state at the tech giants

According to the Home Office, Apple was the first company to introduce protective measures for minors and recently launched an age verification system in the UK. This development shows that technical solutions are feasible, the government emphasized. Starmer explicitly spoke of a solvable rather than an impossible task: it was not an "impossible challenge."

Parallel to the British plans, the government also says it intends to significantly restrict the use of social networks for under-16s. According to British media reports, details are to be presented in the coming days. A ban on certain platforms for this age group is reportedly being considered.

International comparison: Australia and Austria

The UK would therefore not be the first country to take such a step: Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a social media ban for under-16s in December. In Austria, according to the current state of affairs, a ban on social media for children and young people under 14 is also being prepared. The British government points to these examples as evidence that regulatory action is possible.

Background: The Internet Watch Foundation figures

The background to the debate is an investigation by the Internet Watch Foundation, on which the government draws. According to this, 91 percent of cases of online sexual abuse of minors reported in the UK in 2024 were attributable to self-generated images by children. From the government's perspective, this data underscores the urgency of action – and justifies the pressure now being applied to the tech industry.

With the ultimatum, London is linking the expectation that companies will put technical precautions in place at short notice to prevent children from sending, receiving, and storing nude images. Should the companies fail to comply with this request, the government intends to consistently pursue the announced legislative route. The debate on child and youth protection online is likely to gather further momentum in the UK, but also in other European countries.