British Prime Minister Keir Starmer threw down the gauntlet to tech firms on Monday at London Tech Week at Olympia in west London, threatening to legislate unless they act to block children using their phones to shoot, share or view naked images. Photo by Carlos Jasso/EPA
June 8 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum on Monday to tech companies, including Apple and Google, to prevent explicit images from being taken or viewed on children's mobile phones within three months or face legislation compelling them to comply.
Speaking at the London Tech Week show, Starmer said the initiative, requiring operating system developers to enable nudity-detection software or other technical fixes, was a global first that would make Britain the first country where children would not be able to shoot, share or view naked images.
"For too long, people have been told that [children sharing explicit images] is simply the price of modern tech -- that nothing could be done. That government is powerless. That parents just have to accept it," said Starmer.
"I reject that completely because tech should adapt to the needs of society, not the other way round. If we are serious about unlocking the opportunities that tech can bring then we must also be serious about preventing those who want to abuse it -- the online predators.
