By Mauro Orru
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on technology companies to implement checks on their devices to prevent children from sharing intimate images, the latest salvo from a European leader against Big Tech over how to protect young users.
The government said companies like Apple and Alphabet's Google had three months to activate safeguards on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children, and that London would bring forward legislation to force them to activate the technology if they didn't act in a timely fashion.
New legislation could include fines for companies, and even criminal liability for tech bosses who failed to comply as a last resort, according to the government, which said kids as young as five were being groomed and coerced by online predators into sharing explicit images.
"I am calling on tech companies operating in this country to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images, because this is not an impossible challenge," Starmer said in an address at the London Tech Week trade event. "But if they choose not to… Then we will act and we will change the law," he added.
The U.K. already has legislation in place that requires tech groups to remove some forms of sexual content: Companies that provide services where users can exchange texts, images or videos must ensure their platforms aren't being used to disseminate child sexual abuse material.
Still, Starmer's remarks show that the U.K. government is willing to take extra steps to protect young users not just on social media, but also through the devices they use on a daily basis.
Apple didn't respond to a request for comment. The company already offers some features on its devices that warn users, including children, about photos or videos they received that might contain nudity before viewing them, according to its website.
A Google spokesperson said the company was committed to protecting children online. "We are working constructively with UK partners to find effective, privacy-preserving solutions that deter the spread of harmful content while ensuring a safe digital environment for young people," the spokesperson said.
Renewed focus on child safety in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe comes months after Australia became the first country in the world to enact a ban on social media for under 16s. More countries are now weighing or already enforcing social-media bans for younger users to shield them from what they see as potentially dangerous content.
Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 08, 2026 07:44 ET (11:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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