Overview
- The government moved to legislate after the June-to-September deadline lapsed on Tuesday and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told MPs she will draft laws requiring system‑wide protections on phones and tablets used by under‑18s.
- Ministers want device‑level nudity detection that automatically blocks taking, downloading or sharing explicit images across cameras, browsers and third‑party apps on devices assigned to children.
- The planned rules would force “highly effective” age assurance for UK devices and sales, which ministers have said could include credit‑card or government ID checks to prove a user is over 18.
- Companies that fail to meet the standards would face substantial fines and possible criminal liability for senior managers, though ministers said the bill could be reconsidered if firms implement acceptable solutions while it is drafted.
- Child‑safety groups point to rising sextortion reports — Childline recorded 242 sextortion cases in April 2025–March 2026 versus 120 the prior year — and privacy experts warn mandatory on‑device scanning or ID checks risk weakening encryption, creating surveillance and coercion harms while potentially setting an international precedent.