FOREST of Dean MP Matt Bishop has welcomed government plans for new laws aimed at strengthening protections for children from sexual exploitation, abuse and grooming online.

The proposed legislation would require technology companies to introduce safeguards at device level, with the Government saying it wants to make it impossible for under-18s to take, view or send nude images using their devices.

Nudity detection filters would also be switched on by default, meaning parents and carers would not have to activate the protections themselves.

The Government has been working with technology companies including Apple and Google on voluntary measures but said commitments made so far did not go far enough.

Under the proposals, protections would apply across device features including cameras and third-party apps, while adults wanting to access such content would be required to verify their age through an age-assurance process.

Mr Bishop said children and young people in the Forest should be able to use technology without being exposed to the risks of exploitation and grooming.

He said: “For too long, the pace of technological change has moved faster than the protections available to children. We cannot simply accept that as inevitable.

“Parents and carers should not have to become experts in complicated settings just to keep their children safe. The responsibility must also sit with the companies designing and providing these services.”

The proposals follow growing concerns about online sexual exploitation. The Internet Watch Foundation said its Report Remove service received 19 reports relating to sexual extortion in 2022, rising to 394 in 2025.

The charity also reported that 91 per cent of online child sexual abuse reports in 2024 contained self-generated content involving children.

Mr Bishop added that action was needed before children were harmed, saying the measures were intended to allow young people to benefit from technology while being protected from its most serious risks.