5.30pm BST
Afternoon summary Apple and Google have been given until September to install software that blocks explicit images on children’s mobile phones or face legislation enforcing its requirement, Keir Starmer said today.
Silicon Valley companies including Meta have decided to embrace Maga politics, some for “rather more self-interested” reasons, the former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has urged US politicians not to comment on UK criminal justice matters. At Home Office questions in the Commons she was asked by Max Wilkinson , her Lib Dem opposite number if she would agree that JD Vance, the US vice president, and the US state department, who have both commented on the Henry Nowak murder, should “butt out of our politics, leave British law enforcement to Britain and, just as importantly, show respect for British victims of crime”. Mahmood replied:
I would urge all commentators, would-be commentators, wannabes of every description that they leave our criminal justice system to us. We’ve been going for a very long time, and we will carry on in that vein.
Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, Labour candidate in Makerfield and favourite to be next PM, has said that he would like to see more use of detention for migrants facing deportation because they have no right to be in the UK. (See 3.40pm .) He made the comment in a BBC Manchester byelection debate. The BBC has a live blog with extensive coverage.
The government has said that it is launching what it calls an advisory AI growth lab, which it describes as a system “to accelerate the development and deployment of AI products and services by helping innovators navigate existing regulatory frameworks with greater confidence”. The first initiative will focus on AI and legal services .
Trade unions have called for the government to intervene to speed up Tata Steel’s connection to the electricity grid in south Wales, after the company said its new furnace would be delayed by up to a year.
For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.
5.06pm BST
UK to invest £750m in national AI supercomputer, Reeves says The UK will invest £750m into a national artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer as part of a £1.1bn plan to boost British work to develop, deploy and scale AI technologies, the Press Association reports. PA says:
This includes £400m to buy next generation AI chips, £150m of which is committed to go to British firms.
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, also said the tender process for the Edinburgh supercomputer would soon begin as she spoke about the £1.1bn AI hardware plan.
She also said she was launching an AI advisory roadmap to provide practical guidance on how existing rules apply to emerging AI ahead of legislation to regulate the sector due in the autumn, which she announced in her Mais Lecture in March.
“I announced that we would legislate to give powers to safely test innovative products and services in ways current regulation prohibits.
“The secretary of state for business will bring forward that legislation in the autumn and, in advance of that, today, I am launching the advisory AI growth lab, bringing together regulators to provide practical guidance on how existing rules apply to emerging AI applications, with our first focus in legal services,” she told the AI adoption summit in London.
She said she would also publish a financial services AI adoption plan in her Mansion House speech on July 14.
Updated at 5.22pm BST
4.47pm BST
Lib Dems say it's 'shameful' PM chose to 'beg' tech companies to act on nude phone pictures when he could just legislate During the Commons urgent question on the government’s plan to stop children being able to use their mobile phones to take nude pictures, the Liberal Democrats said it was “shameful” that Keir Starmer was asking the tech companies to act and not just legislating to make it happen.
Munira Wilson , the Lib Dem education spokesperson who tabled the UQ, said:
We see a prime minister who spent months completely disengaged from the digital threats facing our young people, suddenly experiencing an 11th-hour Damascene conversion.
This sudden rush seems driven entirely by a looming ballot box in Makerfield and a full-scale rebellion on his own back benches.
We Liberal Democrats won’t criticise someone for reaching the correct position, even if it’s taken them some time, but unfortunately, this government’s actual approach remains profoundly weak.
It’s shameful that the prime minister has to beg big tech to stop the proliferation of child sexual abuse imagery. He could, and he should, make these changes anyway.
Updated at 4.51pm BST
4.37pm BST
In the BBC debate Sarah Wakefield , the Green candidate in Makerfield, accused the other main partie of proposing “the politics of cruelty” in what they were saying about asylum seekers.
Speaking directly after Andy Burnham gave his answer on this issue (see 3.40pm ), she said:
What we’ve heard from the majority of the other parties isn’t a politics of compassion and kindness. It’s actually a politics of cruelty, particularly when it comes to asylum seekers.
And what we should really be thinking about is, we are a country that is built on immigrants. You go back far enough in any of our family histories and you will have a story about someone in your family coming to this country to make a better life.
And when it comes to how we work with asylum seekers that are coming here, we [the Greens] believe we should be giving them dignity, a right to work so that they can contribute while their asylum claims are being processed, and not create this division between them and us.
4.20pm BST
Annabel Tiffin , the presenter, ended the BBC debate by asking the candidates to name their favourite Wigan delicacy.
(The Makerfield constituency is on the edge of Wigan. Makerfield itself is not a place. There is an Ashton-in-Makerfield, which is in the constituency, and an Ince-in-Makerfield which – confusingly – isn’t in Makerfield.)
The Lib Dem’s Jake Austin opted for a chunky steak pie.
Sarah Wakefield , the Green candidate, went for an Uncle Joe’s mint ball ,
Andy Burnham chose a “baby’s head” – or steak pudding.
Robert Kenyon named a chunky steak – but on a brown buttered barm.
And Michael Winstanley said his parents used to make sell pies in their shop, and so he said he would go for a meat and potato pie.
Tiffin said she was disappointed that nobody mentioned a smack barm pea wet . For viewers and listeners outside the north west, it was explained this was “smack” (deep-fried potato) between bread with some of the water from mushy peas on top.
4.01pm BST
The latest edition of the Guardian’s Politics Weekly UK is out. It features Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talking about Keir Starmer’s announcement today about restrictions on mobile phone technology for children, and whether this is to do with Starmer searching for a legacy.
Related: Is Keir Starmer in his ‘legacy’ era? – podcast
3.55pm BST
At the end of the debate Robert Kenyon , the Reform UK candidate, asked Andy Burnham why he did not stand to be Makerfield MP at the 2024 election. Was the constituency at the bottom of his priority list then?
No, said Burnham . He said that he had been serving the area for 25 years, as MP for Leigh (the neighbouring constituency), and then as mayor for Greater Manchester.
3.50pm BST
In the BBC debate they are now talking about crime.
Andy Burnham said Greater Manchester police force was failing for a long time. He said he had appointed a new chief constable, Stephen Watson, who he said was “the outstanding police leader in this country”. He said Watson has doubled the number of people being arrested.
Michael Winstanley , the Conservative candidate, said that Burnham was also mayor when the Greater Manchester was failing.
3.40pm BST
Burnham calls for more use of detention for migrants facing deportation in byelection debate Back in the BBC debate, the second question was about immigration.
Robert Kenyon , the Reform UK candidate, said that while he did not mind people coming to the UK legally, “if you’re going to come here illegally, then you need to be deported ultimately, because it’s costing the taxpayer billions”.
Andy Burnham said for him this was an issue of control.
It’s this thing about control, isn’t it? It feels like the country isn’t functioning properly, running things properly, in the small boats issue. And people want it to be dealt with.
Burnham said the government needed to “go further” in tackling small boats crossing. He said he agreed with the Conservative candidate, Michael Winstanley, about the case for greater use of detention for people facing deporation. He said:
I think we need to make greater use of detention so that people who’ve got no basis for a claim are not actually admitted into the country [and] dealt with quickly and there’s a speedier return.
Actually returns are up under this government, the people who are returned to their country of origin.
So the issue has to be dealt with. It is something that just has to be gripped and gripped properly, because it is about trust in politics. And it is one of those things that is fraying trust to a degree.
Picking up on a point made by Kenyon, who complained about the large number of asylum seekers being housed in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), Burnham said he had long argued that “it’s not right that the Home Office just goes to the areas where housing is lower cost, and overly uses those areas, when it comes to [finding accommodation for] asylum dispersal.”
He went on:
I have argued strongly, repeatedly as mayor of Greater Manchester, that all areas of the country should play a role. It’s not right that the Home Office just comes to the some of the more deprived parts of the country. That is a massive change that is needed.
UPDATE: Burnham said that he used to be an immigration minister in the Tony Blair government. He oversaw returns. At that point the goverment did get a grip. This government was also getting a grip, he said, but it needed to go further.
Asked if that meant he would “get more of a grip on it again” if he returned to parliament, Burnham replied: “Correct.”
Updated at 4.26pm BST
3.24pm BST
Zack Polanski tells bakers' union that very cheap food in supermarkets suggests workers being exploited Shoppers should not be able to buy vegetables for 7p because it is a sign of exploitation in the system, Zack Polanski said today.
Speaking at the baker’s union conference, Polanski called for tougher regulation of supermarkets and claimed the food system was in crisis.
Polanski said:
We do need to talk about supermarket regulation. It cannot go on as it is.
I was thinking of a friend of mine the other day – who I’m not judging for this, I understand, but they were really excited that they were buying vegetables for 7p in one of the supermarkets.
That is not a sign of a healthy system … someone is being exploited somewhere and if you are paying 7p for vegetables then something is not right.
Yes, there’s a cost-of-living crisis. Yes, governments and local councils need to do everything they can to keep food prices down and make sure that people can afford to eat and, in the same breath, we need to make sure that we’re paying our workers properly and that people have proper dignity and working conditions.
And one of the most obvious places where that exploitation is happening is in the supermarket, where a largely unregulated sector, or a sector that has not been regulated enough, has been exploiting both the workers in the supermarkets and the farmers and agricultural workers and, yes, sometimes the people who are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis too.
The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ union (BFAWU) represents workers in the food sector.
3.15pm BST
Burnham says he wants 'essential services back under public control' in BBC Manchester Makerfield byelection debate BBC Radio Manchester is holding a Makerfield byelection debate. You can listen to it here . BBC News are also showing it too.
There are 14 candidates in the election. Only five of them are taking part: Andy Burnham (Lab), Robert Kenyon (Reform UK), Michael Winstanley (Con), Jake Austin (Lib Dem) and Sarah Wakefield (Green).
The first question was about the cost of living. Burnham was invited to explain what his plan was, and he said that as Greater Manchester mayor he had imposed a £2 cap on bus fares. And he said within a couple of years he would bring all the rail stations in the Makerfield constituency into the ambit of the Greater Manchester Bee network, which he said would cut rail costs.
But he said he wanted to see stronger control of other public services, like water. He went on:
In the water industry, we’ve got a situation where the private interest predominates over the public interest. Exactly like buses in Greater Manchester when I came in as mayor in 2017.
And it’s a situation where the shareholders never lose and the public never wins.
I believe strongly that we need to put these essential services back under public control. Water, energy, housing – getting rents down.
2.53pm BST
Catherine Atkinson , the victims minister, was also on Radio 4’s the World at One today. Like Jess Phillips (see 1.59pm ), she also said the new nude images requirement for phone providers – to be imposed by law, if they don’t comply voluntarily – could be a game changer in the battle against online child sexual abuse.
She explained:
I think it’s a really significant pillar. There’s no point in asking a young girl, a child, to send a photograph if they cannot take one, they cannot share it and they can’t even see it. This will be such a significant change.
2.37pm BST
DfE opens call for evidence on when children should get first smartphone The Department for Education has opened a “call for evidence” as part of an inquiry that will lead to the production of advice about when children should be given their first smartphone, and how they should manage their screen use generally. It will be led by Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, and Prof Russell Viner. De Souza and Viner recently produced guidance on screen time for under-5s.
In an interview this morning, de Souza said that she would like to see children under the age of 18 protected from harmful social media platforms. (See 9.16am .)
In its news release , the DfE says:
New polling published today shows that 86% support the government’s screen use guidance for under-fives, while 82% say it is already helping families build healthier habits for young children.
The need for support is clear. While 96% of parents believe their child benefits from being online, fewer than three in ten think the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to social media, messaging and video-sharing platforms.
The call for evidence will also seek views on screen use in schools, recognising that children’s digital lives span both home and education. Evidence gathered will help inform the new guidance as well as wider work to ensure technology used in classrooms supports learning, improves outcomes and protects children from harm.
There is information about how to respond to the call for evidence here .
1.59pm BST
Child phone nudity law could largely end online child sexual abuse, in UK and globally, if widely adopted, Jess Phillips claims Jess Phillips , the former safeguarding minister, told the World at One that she believed that Google and Apple, the two companies that control the operating systems on almost all smartphones that are sold, could very quickly install the software that would stop them being used by children to take naked pictures.
But she said, having worked on this issue for about 18 months (see 12.19pm ), she had heard “every single corner-cutting excuse, work-around in the book from tech companies and those who seek to represent them” and so she expected further foot-dragging.
She said she would like to contribute to drafting the legislation to force them to act if they do not do so voluntarily.
She went on to say she would only believe the ban was actually happening when “a child picks up their phone, tries to take a naked image of themselves because they’ve been groomed to do it, and they won’t be able to do it”.
But, if the ban does come into force, it could be tranformational, she said.
Referring to figures showing that 91% of online child sexual abuse reports refer to self-generated content, she said she expected online abuse rates to “plummet” under this plan.
She explained:
We have the opportunity here in a matter of months to basically eliminate child sexual abuse [online] in the UK.
And what is more is that, I cannot see a way that if we do this – when we do this, I should say – in the UK that phone manufacturers and countries around the world are going to say, ‘I’ll tell you what, we’ll import the phones that are good for paedohiles.’
So I don’t think we’ll just get rid of 91% of child abuse. I think we have the potential in what we’re going to do – and this is what I fought so hard for it – to end online child sex abuse, to cut child sex abuse around the world so dramatically.
Updated at 2.01pm BST
1.36pm BST
There will be three urgent questions in the Commons this afternoon. Here is the list, with rough timings.
After 3.30pm: A science minister will respond to a UQ from the Lib Dems’ Munira Wilson about the child phone sexual images ban proposed today.
Around 4.15pm: An environment minister will respond to a UQ from Labour’s Clive Lewis “on systemic failures across the water sector”.
Around 5pm: A Foreign Office minister will respond to a UQ from Jeremy Corbyn about “the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Cuba, following the US naval and financial blockade of the island”.
1.28pm BST
Badenoch declines to take sides in Vance/Lammy dispute, saying US and UK should stop criticising each other in public Kemi Badenoch has said that British politicians and their US counterparts should stop criticising each other publicly.
Asked by the Press Association about JD Vance , the US vice president, claiming that the murder of Henry Nowak was due to the UK government’s immigration policies (or the elite’s “politics of self-hatred”, as he put it), and David Lammy , the deputy PM, subsequently telling Vance he was wrong , Badenoch decided she could not side with either of them.
Instead Badenoch said:
David Lammy has the right to say what he thinks about this issue, but I do think that there is a problem, especially with social media, of so many politicians commenting about what’s happening in other countries.
David Lammy and others made very vocal criticisms about the death of George Floyd, that is the justification that Americans are now using.
I think we just need to stop all of this, this endless war of words publicly.
People should be dignified when talking to foreign counterparts. Let’s keep the negative feedback with our allies in private, otherwise we’re just helping countries like Iran and Russia who want to see us at loggerheads.
Badenoch has not always followed her own advice. Earlier this year, as she was trying to distance herself from her initial support for Trump’s war against Iran, she said the US president’s criticisms of Keir Starmer were “childish” . She also said Trump should have to clear up the “mess” his war had left.
1.02pm BST
The NAHT union for school leaders has welcomed the ultimatum to tech companies to stop children being able to use mobile phones to take naked images. Sarah Hannafin, the union’s head of policy, said:
NAHT is clear that the ability to send or receive nude images or videos should absolutely be age restricted to safeguard children and young people.
The impact of sharing such content can also spill over into the classroom and playground, affecting children’s happiness and wellbeing.
Where tech firms do not act, it is only right that ministers compel them to do so, and we hope this move will be followed by further action to ensure all devices and online platforms are safe for children following the government’s recent consultation.
12.58pm BST
Charities welcome proposed child phone explicit images ban as 'strong step towards keeping children safe' More charities campaigning for child safety have welcomed the government’s proposed child phone explicit images ban.
This is from Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation .
This is an important step forward for child protection that will keep children safer from the risks of grooming and being coerced into horrendous abuse by sadistic criminals.
And this is from Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s .
Far too many children are exposed to harmful sexual content online or are pressured into sharing sexual images. Barnardo’s research found that a quarter of all young people have seen a nude photo which was originally sent privately and then shared further – while around one in seven 13- to 15-year-old girls have been asked to share a nude photo of themselves. The impact of this can last a lifetime.
This is a strong step towards keeping children safe and we look forward to seeing how these proposals will work in practice. Good intentions are not enough, however, so they need to be backed up by strong regulation and enforcement – as well as keeping pace with how quickly online harms evolve.
Other positive comments from child safety campaigners were posted at 10.23am .
12.50pm BST
Starmer should have announced child phone nudity ban earlier, not just when facing leadership challenge, Lib Dems say At her news conference Daisy Cooper , the Lib Dem deputy leader, cited Jess Phillips (see 12.19pm ) when she said it should not have taken Keir Starmer so long to demand a child phone nudity ban. Cooper said:
I just find it desperately sad that it has taken almost two years for the prime minister to do this, and I think it’s desperately sad that he’s now doing it in the context of a leadership challenge rather than doing it because it’s the right thing to do …
[Phillips] has had been pleading with the prime minister to act on this issue time and time again.
12.19pm BST
Jess Phillips says her resignation letter may have given Starmer 'kick up the bum' to impose child phone naked image ban Jess Phillips , who criticised Keir Starmer for dragging his feet over a proposed child phone nudity ban when she resigned as a minister last month , has welcomed the news that Starmer has said, if tech companies don’t act, the government will force them to with legislation. Phillips said she was pushing for this a year ago.
Today she welcomed the announcement. She said:
My reaction is one of relief that this has happened.
I look forward to working with the government on what the legislation needs to be to make sure that no child can ever be tricked in to taking naked images of themselves for the use of global paedophile networks.
In an interview on Sky New s, Phillips said that Starmer had been reluctant to act because of “a sort of squeamishness to sometimes take on big tech”. She said that perhaps her resignation letter had given Starmer “a kick up the bum to do this”.
But she also said she thought Starmer’s time as PM was “coming to an end”.
Updated at 12.20pm BST
12.04pm BST
Labour leadership contenders challenged to back Lib Dem plan for £3bn 'essential energy guarantee', funded by windfall taxes Governments have two main options when they consider policies that could help families with fuel bills. They can opt for a universal approach, with help for everyone (for example, in the form of a cap on unit prices, or a cash handout). Or they can target help at those most in need (for example with social tariffs, cheaper unit prices for low-income families).
At a press conference this morning Daisy Cooper , the Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson, and deputy party leader, announced proposals for a £3bn a year “essential energy guarantee” that would combine elements of both approaches. It is based on a plan proposed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation thinktank.
Under the Lib Dem plan, everyone would get some of their energy at a reduced rate. The Lib Dems say:
This plan would help protect people from global price shocks by giving every household in Britain a basic energy allowance, equivalent to 50% of average energy consumption, at a discounted rate.
This would save the average family around £100 off their energy bill, helping all households to meet their basic energy needs.
But there would also be extra help for bigger families, and poor households.
Families with children would receive an extra portion of discounted energy for each child. Disabled people and the poorest in society, in receipt of means-tested benefits, would receive a discount on all of their energy usage.
The Lib Dems say this would cost £3bn a year. They would raise £2.5bn for it by clawing back what they describe as a £5bn windfall made by energy companies under Ofgem’s RIIO-2 price control framework. They explain:
A flaw in Ofgem’s “RIIO-2” price control framework has rewarded network operator companies with around £5bn in undeserved profits, which are over and above what Ofgem believes is reasonable. Ofgem mistakenly assumed that network companies’ borrowing costs would rise with inflation, but the companies had already locked in their borrowing at historically low fixed interest rates. When inflation spiked, this allowed network companies to pocket the difference.
The Lib Dems would also get another £500m a year from the windfall on banks they proposed last year.
At her news conference, Cooper challenged potential Labour leadership contenders to accept this plan. She said:
Energy is not a luxury. It’s a basic human need. It’s essential. Every single household in Britain should be able to afford their basic everyday energy needs regardless of what happens in global energy markets, and regardless of who happens to be sitting in No 10 …
Labour’s leadership contenders have a choice: turn a blind eye to the windfall profits of energy network operators and big banks, or step in to guarantee basic dignity for families. Commit to introducing our essential energy guarantee within your first 100 days.
Updated at 12.05pm BST
11.32am BST
Badenoch dismisses Starmer's proposed child phone nudity ban, saying general social media ban 'much simpler' Kemi Badenoch has claimed that Keir Starmer does not have a “proper plan” to stop children using phone to take naked pictures.
Responding to this morning’s announcement, she claimed that a simpler solution would be to stop children under the age of 16 using social media – a policy the Conservatives have been advocating for some time.
Asked about the Starmer plan, she told the Press Association:
I think the move today is an idea without a proper plan behind it.
I don’t want to see children being able to send nudes, but I don’t know exactly how the government is looking at this.
A much simpler way of dealing with these things is getting children off social media rather than piecemeal measures that are tackling the problems issue by issue.
We’ve got to go much further than that.
(Starmer’s proposal is not an alternative to a social media ban for teenagers; a further announcement about a ban, or at least tighter restrictions, is coming soon. See 8.27am .)
Asked whether she would back a ban on social media that goes up to the age of 18, as suggested by the children’s commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza (see 9.16am ), Badenoch replied: “I think that 16 is an appropriate age for children to start using social media.”
11.12am BST
Earlier I said that Andy Burnham seems to be winning the Makerfield byelection campaign. (See 8.27am .) That was based in part on the two Survation poll from the constituency, the second of which put Burnham 10 points ahead of Robert Kenyon, his Reform UK rival.
In a new post on his Substack blog, the pollster Peter Kellner looks at those polling figures in detail. The first poll had Burnham three points ahead, but Kellner argues that that there was a glitch with the turnout weighting and that it should have had Burnham six points ahead. Kellner also argues that latest figures show tactical voting is helping Labour. He explains:
When we make that adjustment to the first poll, the story of the by-election so far becomes clear. Tactical switching is underway. At the general election two years ago, the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives together won 22 per cent of the vote. At the start of the by-election campaign, the figure was already down to ten per cent. Now it is just four.
The five-point rise in Labour’s support in the latest poll matches the fall in Green and Lib Dem support, while smaller changes have seen Reform and Restore up and the Tories down. Overall, tactical voting is helping Labour more because it has now enjoys a near-monopoly of the progressive vote (49 out of 52 per cent), while Reform has been unable to squeeze Restore’s support. The overall left-right balance has stayed the same: Labour plus Green plus Lib Dem remain on 52 per cent, while Reform plus Restore plus Conservative amount to 47 per cent in both polls.
Kellner concludes saying he thinks a “big win” for Burnham, which he defines as Burnham winning with a bigger majority than the combined Reform UK and Restore Britain vote, is “more likely than not”. But he would not bet on it, he says.
10.50am BST
And these are from my colleague Jessica Elgot on the Starmer announcement.
Keir Starmer’s speech on nudity apps encapsulates much of Labour’s MPs frustration with him. “Ultimatums” rather than action. Talk big, act small. Perhaps you then eventually do act big but not without losing an awful lot of goodwill in the process.
“Britain back in the heart of Europe” but within my arbitrary red lines. Or abolishing hereditary peers but letting the Tories convert a load to life peers. Workers rights but not implemented for years. All gives the impression of someone dragged kicking and screaming to enact their own policies.
10.49am BST
Here is Rajeev Syal ’s story about Keir Starmer’s announcement this morning.
Related: Starmer gives tech firms ultimatum to block explicit images on children’s phones
10.43am BST
UK will have 'one of most authoritarian internet regimes in world' under child phone nudity rules, says Big Brother Watch Big Brother Watch , the civil liberties and privacy campaign group, is outraged by the government’s proposal to force tech companies to activate restrictions to stop children using their phones to take naked pictures. Silkie Carlo, its director, said:
Protecting children online is vital, but these are outrageous plans that will fail to address the underlying causes of online harm. This will only result in population-wide ID checks for all of us to use our phones, tablets and laptops.
Put simply, the Labour Government is threatening ID checks for the internet. No one in a democracy should need to show their passport just to get online.
These plans would replace efforts for meaningful tech and parental responsibility with performative, authoritarian government control that children can easily circumvent by accessing adult-registered devices. However, for the UK’s 50 million adults using the internet, this backdoor digital ID requirement would invoke the death of anonymity and internet privacy.
The government’s plan very likely means that unless you submit to intrusive identity checks when setting up your phone or computer, there will be a chokehold on your software and internet access leaving you with a child-locked device. Planned restrictions on messaging, streaming and browsing raise the potential of spyware in our pockets that will be exploited for other purposes before long.
The government mandating that all phones in Britain require ID and surveillance software is a crossing of the Rubicon that would make the UK one of the most authoritarian internet regimes in the world. This extreme technological censorship requires rigorous public and parliamentary scrutiny that is currently totally missing.
10.23am BST
Online safety campaigners have welcomed the government’s announcement about forcing tech companies to stop children taking naked pictures on their devices.
This is from Chris Sherwood, chief executive at the NSPCC .
Online grooming, sexual exploitation and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material could be prevented if tech companies did the right thing and introduced nudity blocking technology on children’s phones.
Every day these protections are not in place, more children will continue to face devastating harm in the online world. That’s why we strongly support government’s decision to make it mandatory for these companies to block inappropriate material at device level. This marks a major step forward in our fight against online child sexual abuse.
And this is from Kerry Smith, CEO at the Internet Watch Foundation.
An alarming amount of child sexual abuse material, which our analysts see every day, is self-generated by children as a result of grooming, coercion or manipulation. We need device-level detection and blocking alongside platform-level protections.
That is why we warmly welcome the government’s announcement and see these protections as playing a powerful role in a whole-system response to the threats children face in digital spaces.
9.59am BST
Measures to stop children using phones for naked images 'already exist' but not applied by tech firms, government says The government has highlighted work done by the internet safety firm SafeToNet as showing that the technology is already in place that would allow tech companies to stop children using phones to take naked pictures of themselves, or other people. The Home Office says:
Measures to protect children already exist within smartphones and tablets, but are applied inconsistently, often switched off by default and only blurring content rather than blocking it. But the government is working closely with technology companies — some of whom, like Apple, have already taken steps to implement protective features — to make this goal a reality.
Companies must introduce these measures without threatening privacy or collecting any data. The device should simply block harmful content across all apps and services. Over-18s will still be able to view adult content by providing proof of age.
British safety tech firm SafeToNet has shown this change is already achievable, with software that blocks nude content and prevents images being taken if the camera detects a child.
And this is from Richard Pursey , chair of SafeToNet.
The government is right to act. Children have been failed for too long. This news will be welcomed by parents across the UK and hopefully, will inspire other countries to follow the UK’s lead.
We can put an end to so much online misery with this approach. SafeToNet’s HarmBlock technology is a proven example that it is possible to make the device safe by default and not as some optional add-on.
We have proven that with HarmBlock, on-device, tamperproof, embedded safeguards can prevent children from seeing, filming and broadcasting explicit content. It works in real-time including livestream and crucially also protects the privacy rights of the child as no data enters or leaves the application.
Let’s be blunt: manufacturers have built devices capable of facilitating illegal, explicit, image-based harm to children. That’s the reality. But with this world-leading announcement we are finally shifting the battle ground of a child’s online safety to the device .
Updated at 10.00am BST
9.52am BST
Home Office says existing phones and tablets, as well as new ones, should be covered by proposed child nudity rules The Home Office says the restrictions it wants tech companies to impose to stop children using their phones to take naked pictures would apply to all UK devices, not just new ones. In its news release it says:
The changes will apply to UK devices , including both existing and newly sold smartphones and tablets. Legislation could cover operating system providers and others in the supply chain, such as retailers, and will not affect the use of devices owned and used by adults who verify their age …
Apple recently introduced age checks for iPhone users, making it the first company to activate safety features by default for those who are not verified as over 18. This is a significant step forward following the government’s commitments to work with industry, and one this announcement builds on.
Despite this, the nudity detection is not applied to the camera or broader apps, third-party messaging services, or search functions, meaning children can still take, view, share and save nude images. The government therefore wants Apple and Google to block nudity across the whole device by default, so they can only be deactivated via age assurance.
Updated at 10.01am BST
9.46am BST
UK to be first country in world where it will be impossible for children to take naked pictures on phones, Home Office says The Home Office says the ban being proposed today to make it impossible for children to use their phones to take naked images of themselves or others would be a world first. In a news release it says:
In Britain will become the first country in the world where it is impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices, the prime minister announced today in a speech at London Tech Week.
Under new plans, Big Tech companies like Apple and Google must activate built-in features or implement technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children.
This will prevent predators from being able to exploit and abuse victims through their devices, as well as stopping children from being able to access pornography. Adults will still be able to take, share or view nude content through an age verification process.
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.
Updated at 10.01am BST
9.40am BST
In his speech Starmer cited the government’s response to Grok, when its AI tool was being used to allow people to produce non-consensual intimate images, as an example of how the government would stand up to tech companies.
He said:
Where technology poses a threat to our people, to our children, we will act quickly and firmly.
We saw that earlier this year with Grok. They allowed their tools to be used to create disgusting, explicit images.
So we took them on, and all tech companies should know if they fall short on their responsibility to keep people safe. We will act with the same decisiveness.
9.33am BST
Starmer says government will legislate if tech companies don't stop children using phones to take naked images 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:
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.
Updated at 9.34am BST
9.26am BST
Starmer praised the tech entrepreneurs in his audience for their contribution to the UK’s tech investment record. (See 9.24am .)
Half of all European tech investment in this country – that’s a profound achievement and it belongs to so many people in this room.
But that hasn’t happened by accident. Each one of those investments is an endorsement of British talent, of British industry, and of the approach that Britain is taking, approach that has in no small part been shaped by so many people in this room and by the conversations that we’ve had in the last two years.
9.24am BST
Starmer gives speech at start of London Tech Week Keir Stamer is giving his speech, making the start of London Tech Week.
He began by saying the UK is uniquely placed to lead the world in the technological revolution. And it was a revolution “with the potential to transform lives, to strengthen communities, and create opportunities right across the country and a revolution that Britain is uniquely placed to lead”.
Starmer said:
Britain is the third-largest technology economy in the world. Our start-ups have raised close to half of all European investment in tech this year.
9.16am BST
Children's commissioner for England says restrictions on social media should cover 16 and 17-year-olds too The Times this morning is reporting that Keir Starmer will soon announce a ban on “harmful” social media platforms for under-16s. (See 8.27am .) In their story , Max Kendix, Stefan Boscia and Oliver Wright say:
Those familiar with the proposals said the prime minister was looking at a “hybrid” system that would include elements of the Australian ban and the outlawing of specific features such as infinite scrolling, push notifications and autoplay.
One source claimed the proposals could have more “granular” age restrictions by limiting certain features and sites to different age groups rather than a blanket under-16s ban like in Australia.
Dame Rachel de Souza , the children’s commissioner for England, has urged the government to go further. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said she would like to see restrictions cover 16 and 17-year-olds too, and apply to gaming platforms as well as social media sites.
She said:
If we are genuinely seeking to safeguard children from harm, we cannot allow 16- and 17-year-olds to have lesser protection …
I am calling for all online services – not just social media platforms, but gaming sites and any platforms that make use of harmful features and functionalities – to be banned from accessing children, until they can prove that they are designed in a way that will protect children’s safety and wellbeing.
De Souza recently co-chaired a review for the government with Russell Viner, an adolescent health professor, that produced guidance for parents on screen use by under-5s. She and Viner are now producing for the government guidance on at what age children should get a smartphone.
In an interview on the Today programme this morning, she said that while children say they don’t like the principle of being banned from accessing social media, they also say that their social media use is bad for them, for example affecting their sleep, and they want help reducing it.
She said for the first time in six years she was “optimistic” about the government being ready to take action.
But children should not get the blame, she stressed. She told the programme:
[We should] ban the companies from having access to our children until they prove that they are actually worthy of them. If they’ve got these terrible algorithms, of course they should be banned.
I just want to frame it not as a ban on children – the children have done nothing wrong. We are protecting children by not allowing these companies to have access to them.
8.52am BST
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth 'lacking in class' when he launched anti-migration rant at D-day ceremony, minister says Jacqui Smith , the skills minister, has argued that Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, lacked “class” when he used a speech at a D-day commemoration service to criticise European countries over their record on immigration.
As Ashifa Kassam reports, Hegseth’s speech has been condemned across Europe and beyond.
Related: Pete Hegseth’s D-day speech on immigration condemned as ‘grotesque stupidity’
This morning Smith , who has been doing a media round, joined the chorus. Asked on LBC if Hegseth was right, she replied:
No, he’s not right, and no, I think it’s a bit lacking in class to raise it at a ceremony like that.
Smith said there had been “very big reductions” in net migration under Labour and “we will continue to take action on the things that I think people are really worried about, particularly those who are coming across the Channel in small boats.”
8.27am BST
Keir Starmer to say ‘tech revolution must work for everyone’ in speech on AI Good morning. Two weeks today, it seems more likely than not that Andy Burnham will be taking his seat as the new MP for Makerfield. A byelection win is not certain, but the campaign is definitely going his way. Keir Starmer has been saying he won’t just stand aside and let Burnham replace him as Labour leader, but these briefings are being received with a hefty dose of scepticism.
The unnamed minister quoted in today’s Times splash gives a more realistic guide to what is happening. They say:
Keir has entered his legacy era. The conversations are now all, ‘What is announceable in time before Makerfield?’
The Times says that one of these legacy ‘announceables’ will be a ban on “harmful” social media (ie, not all social media) for under-16s. The PM wants to announced that before the byelection, the paper says.
Starmer is also giving a speech on technology this morning. According to the extracts briefed in advance, he will the “tech revolution must work for everyone”. He will say:
No one doubts the huge potential of tech to change lives. But we have to decide who that change is for. This government’s choice is clear: the tech revolution must work for everyone, not just a privileged few.
We’re backing British businesses to lead the way, driving growth and investment that turns into more jobs and stronger communities. And we’re using tech to bring opportunity to every corner of the country – helping people into work, tackling inequalities, boosting skills and building a fairer future.
There was also a mini news announcement in the overnight briefing – but not one that will be remembered by anyone writing about Starmer’s legacy. He will say the Department for Work and Pensions is trialling what it calls an “AI work assistant” to help the jobless find work. No 10 says:
The tool will provide a 24/7 resource for people, offering guidance on topics such as career development, job searching and applications. The trial will last for around three months, to gather data and feedback on how people are using the service so that it can be adapted and improved as necessary.
You can access the tool here , although you will need a GOV.UK login.
There may be other news in the speech too.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Keir Starmer is giving a speech on technology and AI.
10am: Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson and deputy leader, holds a press conference on tackling energy bills.
Morning: Kemi Badenoch is on a visit in London where she will be speaking to the media.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
1pm: Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, speaks at the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers union conference.
1.15pm: Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, gives a speech at the AI adoption summit.
2.30pm: Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
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Updated at 8.52am BST