New Android smartphone uses AI to block ALL nude content and has 'zero loopholes' to fully protect your child

The Online Safety Act requires any online platform that hosts adult content to implement robust age verification before it allows visitors access, which is an attempt to make the online world safer for children.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle stated: “With the latest online safety laws recently coming into force, we’ve started laying the foundations for a safer online world. But the work doesn’t end here – we want the internet to be a place where young people can flourish, expand their horizons, pursue their passions, and access education in ways no generation has before - all while trusting that the technology they use keeps them safe and helps them grow into better individuals.”

While this legislation should restrict access to adult content for children, it won't filter out communication from potential online predators or harmful content that could be directly sent to a child.

Dan Sexton from the Internet Watch Foundation highlighted the urgency: "Children and young people are increasingly being exposed to criminals and predators who can target them through their phones."

Recent research also indicates that one in five secondary school pupils has experienced pressure to share intimate images of themselves.

So, how does this smartphone protect children from this?

This innovative device, developed in collaboration between Human Mobile Devices (HMD) and online safety specialists SafeToNet, incorporates artificial intelligence that actively blocks inappropriate content.

Unlike traditional parental control apps that children might be able to bypass, this technology is embedded directly into the phone's Android operating system. Dubbed HarmBlock+, this preinstalled system uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor the viewfinder of the camera and the images on-screen in real-time.

When your child attempts to capture inappropriate content, the camera simply won't record it.

The same protection extends to incoming material - if someone sends explicit images or videos to your child, they won't be able to view or save them.

This safeguarding works across every application, website, and messaging platform installed on the HMD smartphone, including staples like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and more. Even during live video streams, the technology actively filters out inappropriate content.

The system has been ethically trained using 22 million harmful images, enabling it to recognise and block explicit material instantly. Your child's privacy remains protected throughout, as no personal data leaves the device.

SafeToNet founder Richard Pursey said: “HarmBlock+ can’t be removed, tricked, or worked around. It doesn’t collect personal data. It just protects every time, across every app, including VPNs, with zero loopholes."

"We are seeing a rise in peer-to-peer online abuse and child exploitation,” he told Techradar “and this is the first and only AI to stop that. In essence, we have made the HMD Fuse pornography incompatible.”

You'll also have unprecedented control over how your child uses their device through the built-in parental management system. You can approve or block individual applications, establish daily usage limits for each app, and schedule screen-free periods for homework or bedtime.

Katharine Birbalsingh, headteacher at Michaela Community School, emphasised the device's potential impact: "This device gives parents the power to intervene, to guide, and to protect, and for that, it could change lives."

The location features also provide peace of mind through real-time tracking that updates every 24 seconds. You can establish safe zones around places like school or home, receiving automatic alerts when your child enters or leaves these areas.

For communication safety, you can create a whitelist of trusted contacts. This ensures your child can only exchange calls and messages with people you've approved, protecting them from unwanted contact.

The device features a unique "growth journey" design. This means it will grow with your child based on the permissions you allow. For example, you can start with basic calling and texting, gradually introducing new features as your child demonstrates readiness.

"We believe this will be the most impactful smartphone launch of the year," said James Robinson, Vice President at HMD Family. "We've created not just a new phone, but a new category."

Is there any way for children to bypass these protections?

Within days of the Online Safety Act coming into force, Britons were seeking a way to bypass the widespread blocks and age verification barriers. Vast numbers have turned to Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, to help them circumvent the restrictions imposed by the Online Safety Act.

When you connect to a VPN, everything you do online is rerouted via the provider's servers. If you choose a VPN server in the same country, this serves as a way to encrypt and mask everything you do online, including the websites you visit, the amount of time spent on each service, and much more.

However, a VPN won't diminish this smartphone's ability to protect children from explicit content.

If a parent approves a VPN to be downloaded onto the device, the protections are still intact. This means that even if a child is attempting to visit an explicit site with a VPN, the phone's software will still blur and block any inappropriate content that may arise.

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You can pick up the new device exclusively on Vodafone, from £33 a month (£30 upfront cost). The device is also available for Three customers, following the merger of Vodafone and Three. Vodafone has exclusivity (alongside Three) on the HMD Fuse until September 30, before it's available to other retailers.