Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that it will prepare new legislation to strengthen protections for children online and tackle the growing threat of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The legislation will make it impossible for anyone under 18 to take, view or send nude images on their devices, with stronger device-level safeguards built into technology to help tackle grooming, exploitation and abuse.
The Government has been working with Apple and Google since 8 June to secure world-first commitments to make it impossible for children to send, take or view nude images on their devices. There has been progress, marking an important start in efforts to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse. However, the Government has been clear that the voluntary commitments secured so far do not meet the scale of its ambition.
As a result, the Government has announced that it will bring forward legislation to build in device-level protections for children. Given the complexity of the issue, the Government will take the time needed to ensure the legislation is properly designed and technically effective. However, it will be introduced as soon as possible.
Technology companies will continue to have the opportunity to develop and implement effective technical solutions themselves while the legislation is being prepared. If companies in scope develop and implement solutions that deliver the protections required, the Government will reassess whether legislation remains necessary.
The new legislation will be based on three clear principles:
- It must be impossible for anyone under the age of 18 to take, view or send nude images. This means images must be blocked across all device features, including cameras and third-party apps.
- Parents and carers should not have to take active steps to prevent children from consuming nude content. Nudity detection filters must therefore be switched on by default.
- The only way for any user to take, view or send nude images should be for an adult to verify their age through a robust age-assurance process.
The measures will mean that protections are built into the technology itself, helping to close gaps that can currently exist between different apps, platforms and device functions.
The Government is also clear that stronger protections must be delivered in a way that respects privacy, while ensuring that children cannot simply bypass safeguards by moving between different services.
Louise Haigh MP said:
“Children and young people in Sheffield Heeley should be able to use technology without being exposed to the risks of sexual exploitation, abuse and grooming.
“For too long, the pace of technological change has moved faster than the protections available to children. We cannot simply accept that as inevitable.
“This legislation will put stronger protections directly into the technology children use every day.
“Parents and carers should not have to become experts in complicated settings just to keep their children safe. The responsibility must also sitm with the companies designing and providing these services.
“Last year I spoke out about the urgent need for proper regulation of artificial intelligence, following the disgusting deepfake images being created and circulated on X through its chatbot, Grok. The sexual manipulation of images, particularly of women and children is appalling, and it is a clear sign that the current system is failing to keep people safe online.”