Stop Children From Taking and Sharing Nudes, UK Prime Minister Tells Tech Companies

In a stark escalation of the UK's child safety push, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered tech companies to stop children from taking and sharing nude images online — and hinted at an outright UK social media ban under 16.

The move comes as Starmer reportedly prepares to follow Australia's lead in banning social media for children under 16, a step that would reshape how platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat operate in Britain. The announcement, made on March 10, 2025, piles pressure on tech giants already grappling with the UK's Online Safety Act, which imposes a legal 'duty of care' to protect minors.

Starmer's warning is not new: the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, was supposed to force platforms to proactively remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM). But enforcement has been slow, and critics argue that tech companies have dragged their feet on age verification and content moderation. "I am prepared to bring in a ban on social media for under-16s if companies cannot demonstrate they can protect our children," Starmer is said to have told industry leaders. The comment echoes Australia's world-first law, passed in November 2024, which bans under-16s from platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with fines running into millions of dollars.

Key details remain scarce. The Prime Minister did not set a specific deadline for compliance, but sources suggest a consultation on the UK social media ban under 16 will begin within weeks. Tech companies face a dual threat: the immediate demand to stop children circulating nude images — which includes using AI to detect and block such content — and the prospect of a broader access ban. Industry bodies have pushed back, warning that blanket bans risk driving children to unregulated corners of the internet and that age verification tools are still unreliable.

Analysis: The UK's strategy — stick first, carrot later — reflects growing frustration with self-regulation. Australia's ban, while popular with parents, has been criticised by digital rights groups as heavy-handed. The UK approach, by contrast, marries platform liability with a potential access ban, creating a powerful deterrent. "This is the most aggressive posture we've seen from a Western government on children's online safety," said Dr. Emily Turner, digital policy fellow at the Centre for Internet Studies. "If the UK goes ahead with a ban, it will become the template for dozens of other countries." Yet the devil will be in the detail: enforcement mechanisms, exemptions for educational content, and the definition of 'social media' all remain up for debate.

Outlook: All eyes are on the consultation, expected to conclude by summer 2025. Tech companies will lobby hard for alternatives — perhaps AI-driven age estimation and stricter default privacy settings — to head off a ban. But with public support for tougher measures high and Starmer's government seeking a clear political win, the momentum for a UK social media ban under 16 is growing. If passed, Britain could become the first major European economy to pull the lever, forcing a global rethink of how kids use the internet.