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Written question asked by Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 15 June 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Thursday, 2 July 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Mobile Phones: Children

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their decision to mandate on-device nudity safeguards, what steps they intend to take to ensure that the public is aware that the relevant technology does not collect, transfer, or store user data.

Answer

The Prime Minister announced on 8 June that the UK will be the first country in the world where it will be impossible for any child in the UK to take share or view nude images.

We will work with tech companies for three months to ensure that comprehensive nudity detection is implemented at operating system level, with adults able to switch it off by proving they are over-18 through age assurance. If industry does not meet our high expectations, then we will legislate.

Nudity detection happens entirely on‑device: no data leaves the device; there is no reporting to industry, government or law enforcement. Apple and Google have both produced public documentation explaining that their existing nudity detection technology happens entirely on device and neither company has access to the imagery,

Our engagement with industry over three months is with the objective of enhancing this existing technology to apply comprehensively and effectively across the device. Efficacy, proportionality and user privacy will of course continue to be central to those discussions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL916
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Children Protection Mobile phones Safety
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk