The UK government announced on 9 September 2026 that it would prepare legislation requiring technology companies to build device-level protections making it impossible for anyone under the age of 18 to take, view or send nude images. Under the plan, nudity detection filters would be switched on by default across device features, including the camera and third-party apps, and only adults verified through age assurance could take, view or send such images. The government said it was also exploring legislation covering apps used by children.

Ministers said negotiations with Apple and Google since 8 June had produced progress but not enough to match the government's ambition, and that the law would be introduced as soon as possible, with a reassessment if companies acted themselves. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the companies had "moved" but "not far enough or fast enough"; culture secretary Lisa Nandy said planning must become implementation.

The release cited Internet Watch Foundation figures: more child sexual extortion-related reports in six months than in all of 2025; 19 sextortion reports to its Report Remove service in 2022, rising to 394 by 2025; and 91% of online child sexual abuse reports in 2024 containing self-generated content.