A spy in your pocket? How the UK’s proposed on-device nude image blocking could work in reality
A spy in your pocket? How the UK’s proposed on-device nude image blocking could work in reality
Publish Date: 2026-06-12 12:25:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
This year, London Tech Week is set to be remembered for an ‘innovation’ in how we use our devices — but not one that tech fans would expect or, perhaps, want.
On its opening day on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the stage at the Olympia event and gave Big Tech an ultimatum: Apple and Google have three months to implement on-device scanning technology to prevent children from accessing explicit images.
“If we are serious about unlocking the opportunities that tech can bring, then we must also be serious about protecting our children from those who look to abuse it,” said Starmer in his speech.
For the government, the move is non-negotiable to stop the rise in online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and grooming incidents. It’s also a feasible task, according to Starmer.
“This is not an impossible challenge,” he said, threatening to “change the law” if tech companies don’t comply.
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A wave of privacy backlash was quick to follow online, especially among privacy tech providers and advocates.
Talking to Bloomberg, President of the encrypted messaging app Signal, Meredith Whittaker, went as far as to say that her company “would rather exit a market than undermine the technical guarantees that people trust for their privacy”.
So, is on-device scanning the solution to children’s safety that we were waiting for, or a disproportionate response set to erode privacy and security and expose confidential communications? Let’s lay out all we know.
How on-device scanning could work
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Right now, we know very little about how these scanning technologies will work in practice. But we do know that Apple, Google, and other companies have been making progress with on-device detection functionalities and children’s safety.
After introducing broader child safety features and age checks for UK iPhone users, this week Apple unveiled some new tools to help parents protect kids and teens…
