Sir Keir Starmer has told tech companies they must introduce device controls to prevent children sending or receiving explicit images, or the government will legislate to force the change.
The prime minister said that “the pace of change cannot be an excuse for harm”, as he rejected the idea parents must “accept” dangers of modern technology.
In a speech at London Tech Week, he 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.”
Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips resigned from Sir Keir’s government last month, after she claimed he refused to introduce such a law because he was “worried about tech bosses”.
She said in a letter that she presented a solution to introduce the measure a year ago, and it had taken her a year to convince Sir Keir to “threaten to legislate”.