# Stop children taking, sharing or viewing naked pictures

> “New legislation will be prepared by the government to force tech companies to make it impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures.”
>
> — HM Government; Press release (DCMS), 9 September 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Police, courts, prisons](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/police-courts-and-prisons)
- **Speaker:** [HM Government](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/hm-government)
- **Made on:** 9 September 2026
- **Where:** Press release (DCMS)
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Children under 18 in the UK; technology companies, which would be legally required to build protections into their devices
- **When:** Not stated; the government says it will introduce the legislation "as soon as possible"
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-have-worlds-strongest-online-child-safety-laws-as-government-prepares-legislation-on-nude-images (checked word for word on 7 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 8 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-child-nude-images-law-2026

## Where it stands

No date was given: the government says it will introduce the legislation as soon as possible, and will reassess whether it is needed if companies put solutions in place themselves. The same press release says features that keep users scrolling for longer, such as videos that play one after another and personalised feeds, will also be switched off by default for 16 and 17-year-olds; no date is given for this either.

## Timeline

- 9 September 2026, Promised: Government announces it will bring forward legislation requiring technology companies to stop under-18s taking, sharing or viewing nude images on their devices

## About the cost

No cost to the public purse stated. The law would require technology companies to build protections into their devices, so the main cost falls on the companies. The government has not yet published the bill or an impact assessment, and its announcement gives no figure.

Costing sources:
- [DCMS: UK to have world's strongest online child safety laws as government prepares legislation on nude images (9 Sep 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-have-worlds-strongest-online-child-safety-laws-as-government-prepares-legislation-on-nude-images)
- [DCMS: Lisa Nandy's statement on protecting children online (8 Sep 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lisa-nandys-statement-on-protecting-children-online)

## Corrections

- 8 October 2026, the cost note in version 1: The note said only that no costing was published. It now says who bears the cost under the announced plan. Was: “No costing published.”. Now: “No cost to the public purse stated. The law would require technology companies to build protections into their devices, so the main cost falls on the companies. The government has not yet published the bill or an impact assessment, and its announcement gives no figure.”. ([source](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-have-worlds-strongest-online-child-safety-laws-as-government-prepares-legislation-on-nude-images))
- 8 October 2026, the cost sources in version 1: The note said only that no costing was published. It now says who bears the cost under the announced plan. Was: not given. Now: DCMS: UK to have world's strongest online child safety laws as government prepares legislation on nude images (9 Sep 2026); DCMS: Lisa Nandy's statement on protecting children online (8 Sep 2026). ([source](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-have-worlds-strongest-online-child-safety-laws-as-government-prepares-legislation-on-nude-images))

## Sources

- [DCMS press release, 9 Sep 2026: UK to have world's strongest online child safety laws as government prepares legislation on nude images](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-have-worlds-strongest-online-child-safety-laws-as-government-prepares-legislation-on-nude-images)

## Checks

- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 7 October 2026; human editor review to come.

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