UK Threatens to Jail Tech CEOs If They Don’t Add CSAM Safeguards

The United Kingdom wants to punish and potentially even jail tech company CEOs who refuse to develop and implement software solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images of children.

This week, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that tech companies must work with the government to solve the issue of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual predation of children, and prevent children from accessing pornographic materials on their devices.

“Now is the time for tech companies to step up and work with government to solve this horrific issue. If companies do not act within three months, the government will bring forward legislation to force them to activate the technology. This will include fines for companies. Nothing is off the table, and as a last resort we are exploring criminal liability for tech bosses who fail to comply,” the United Kingdom government says.

“When it comes to the safety of our children, standing by is not an option. Nobody gets a free pass. That is why I’m making sure Britain is the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images,” Starmer himself said in a speech. “And I expect tech firms to make that happen. This is not an impossible challenge — these are some of the most innovative companies in the world. But if they choose not to, then we will act and change the law.”

The government says changes will apply to devices in the United Kingdom, including both existing and newly purchased ones. Potential legislation could cover other companies in the supply chain, including retailers. Further, the U.K. says legislation would not affect the use of devices owned and used by adults who verify their age.

“As a society, we have not kept pace with the changing threats that children face. Abuse online is far too common, and we will not tolerate it,” adds Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. “Tech companies have a moral duty to act, by making it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images. If they don’t, we will legislate.”

The government notes that Apple, in particular, has made important strides in user safety technology in the United Kingdom, including “world-first features” related to age checks. However, the government notes that Apple’s nudity detection is not applied to the camera or third-party messaging apps, “meaning children can still take, view, share, and save nude images.”

The government wants companies like Apple and Google to block nudity across the entire device by default, allowing only verified adults to disable these safety measures.

“91% of online child sexual abuse reports recorded in 2024 contained self-generated content from children themselves and the average child now views pornography by age 13,” the U.K. says. “Child sexual abuse material and pornography are also increasing misogyny and the normalization of harmful sexual behavior. 52% of all child sexual abuse and exploitation cases involve children aged 10–17 offending against other children.”

Not everyone is on board.

As Reclaim the Net, an organization that aims to counter digital censorship and surveillance, writes, “‘Think of the children’ is the oldest skeleton key in the political toolbox and the British government has just jammed it into the lock on every phone in the country. The children are the headline but the surveillance is the product.”

This is an important point to consider. The government, and by extension, tech companies, cannot adequately block the harmful child sexual abuse material without having some means of monitoring every single piece of content on a device at all times. This sounds a lot like client-side scanning, a highly controversial technology.

A U.K. Home Office spokeswoman says, “Client-side scanning involves data collection and this doesn’t involve data collection.”

Regardless of disagreement over what specific terms mean, there is no question that proposed solutions to the child abuse problem do include an increased level of surveillance.

Whether it is an acceptable cost for the proposed benefits is up for U.K. citizens to determine for themselves, although given that Starmer’s plans are part of the already-enacted Online Safety Act, there is nothing for citizens to do actively. The plans are now in motion, and tech companies have three months to comply. Whether companies comply or not remains to be seen.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.com.