MPs urge tech firms to act now to block nude images on children’s smartphones

Rhiannon-Faye McDonald, director of services at Marie Collins Foundation, which supports victims and survivors, insists the existence of pictures can have a lasting impact on victims after MPs urged tech firms to act now and block nude images on children’s smartphones.

She said: “Preventing the creation and sharing of sexual images involving children is an important part of tackling technology-assisted child sexual abuse.

“For victims, the harm does not necessarily end when the original abuse stops, or when an image is first shared. The existence of those images can have a profound and lasting impact throughout their lives.

“Victims may spend the rest of their lives knowing that images of their abuse could still exist, could be in the possession of people they do not know, and could be viewed, shared or rediscovered at any time.

“That loss of control and uncertainty can become part of the ongoing trauma itself and can affect their sense of safety, privacy, relationships and recovery many years after the abuse took place.

“That is why preventing an image from being created or shared in the first place is so important. It can prevent a form of harm that may otherwise follow a victim for a lifetime.

“We welcome measures which put greater responsibility on technology companies to design safety into their products, and we have been encouraged by the Government’s commitment to legislate in this area. But children should not have to wait for legislation where effective protections can be introduced sooner.”