The Government has announced plans for new legislation aimed at preventing children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images on phones, devices and online platforms.
Under the proposals, technology companies would be legally required to introduce stronger device-level safeguards for under-18s, with the aim of reducing the risks of grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Government says the protections would be switched on by default, rather than relying on parents or carers to activate them. The principles being considered include:
- preventing under-18s from taking, viewing or sending nude images across device features and third-party apps;
- requiring nudity detection protections to be enabled by default; and
- requiring robust age assurance before users can access features allowing nude images.
The announcement follows discussions with major technology companies including Apple and Google. While the Government says progress has been made, it believes further action is needed and intends to prepare legislation to introduce mandatory protections.
The measures come amid growing concern about online sexual exploitation and sextortion involving children and young people. The Internet Watch Foundation reported that its Report Remove service received 394 sextortion reports in 2025, compared with 19 in 2022.
The legislation has not yet been introduced to Parliament, and the Government says it will work through the technical complexities before bringing forward the proposals.
Find out more: Read the full Government announcement on GOV.UK
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