The UK Government has announced that it is introducing new legislation on nude images. The legislation is designed to strengthen protections on devices and platforms to prevent children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images, in an effort to tackle grooming, exploitation and abuse.
The measures would legally require technology companies to add stronger safeguards on all their devices to help stop grooming, exploitation and abuse before children are exposed to harm.
Since June 2026, the government has been negotiating with Apple and Google to secure commitments to make it impossible for children to send, take or view nude images on their devices. While the government has indicated that progress has been made, the commitments from the companies do not go as far as the government wants. As a result, the government has announced it will bring forward legislation to build in device-level protections for children. The government is also exploring the possibility of legislation that would require apps that children use to prevent them from accessing or sharing nudity.
The new laws will be based on three main principles, including
- that 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,
- parents and carers should not have to take active steps to prevent children from seeing nude content, and,
- that the only wake 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.
Earlier in 2026, the UK government also announced measures to ban social media companies from providing their services to under-16s as well as restrictions on risky features, such as livestreaming or stranger communications for platforms like games. The European Commission has also announced its EU KIDS Act.
