Government plans law to stop children taking and sharing nude images

The Government has announced plans for new legislation which would require technology companies to prevent children from taking, viewing or sharing nude images on their devices.

Apple and Google were given three months in June to strengthen protections for under-18s. While both companies have since made changes, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told MPs that their proposals did not go far enough.

The Government now intends to legislate to require major technology companies to build protections directly into devices, including blocking nude images across cameras and third-party apps.

Nudity detection filters would be switched on by default for children, while adults would be able to access the features after verifying their age.

‘We will not tolerate it online’

Announcing the plans in Parliament, Nandy warned that children were being “groomed, coerced, and manipulated into creating and sharing intimate images across online services”.

She said: “In no other walk of life would we tolerate this crisis harming our children, we will not tolerate it online.”

The Internet Watch Foundation estimates that 91% of online child sexual abuse reports in 2024 contained self-generated material involving children.

Nandy added: “When it comes to children’s safety, we are not and never will be bystanders.”

The Government says legislation will be introduced as soon as possible, although it could reconsider the need for new laws if technology companies introduce sufficient protections themselves beforehand.

NSPCC welcomes plans

The proposals have been welcomed by the NSPCC, which has warned that images created on children’s devices can become the starting point for grooming, sexual extortion and other forms of abuse.

NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood described legislation as a “necessary move” after technology companies failed to meet the Government’s three-month deadline.

He added: “Children cannot face more delays, so Government must act swiftly and ensure these measures are enshrined in law at the earliest opportunity.”

CARE has long called for stronger protections for children online, including measures to prevent children from being exposed to pornography and other harmful sexual content.

The latest proposals represent another significant step towards placing greater responsibility on technology companies to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse online.