The UK government gave technology companies three months to switch on device-level tools blocking children from taking, sending or viewing nude images, warning action will be taken if they fail to do so.

The UK Home Office said companies including Apple and Google must implement built-in protections across smartphones and tablets used by children in a move it claimed would make Britain “the first country in the world where it is impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices”

If tech companies do not act within the deadline, the government plans to enforce legislation mandating the activation of the technology. Proposed penalties could include fines, with criminal liability for tech bosses under consideration “as a last resort”.

On privacy, the government framed the proposal as on-device blocking, stating there would be “no data collection, no monitoring and no reporting”. Users over the age of 18 would still be able to access adult content by providing proof of age.

The initiative aims to stop predators from exploiting underage victims through their devices and limiting children’s access to pornography. The Home Office noted 91% of online child sexual abuse reports recorded in 2024 contained self-generated content, adding children as young as five were being groomed or coerced into creating explicit images.

Speaking at London Tech Week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (pictured) said the industry must address the issue as a matter of urgency. “If we are serious about unlocking the opportunities that tech can bring, then we must also be serious about preventing our children from those who look to abuse it – the online predators,” he explained, arguing technology should “adapt to the needs of society, not the other way round”.

Starmer warned if technology players “choose not, then we will act and we will change the law”.

The post Big tech faces UK child safety ultimatum appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The Iran war is pushing countries to prioritize domestic energy in order to protect themselves from volatile oil and natural gas markets.

The Iran war is pushing countries to prioritize domestic energy in order to protect themselves from volatile oil and natural gas markets.

© Jes Aznar for The New York Times

The Norwegian Competition Authority cleared Telenor to buy fibre company GlobalConnect’s domestic consumer business, subject to a handful of conditions including offloading some assets.

Telenor is required to divest fibre infrastructure at addresses both companies already serve. This will impact approximately 6,000 customers.

Around 9,000 GlobalConnect customers using Telenor’s network through resale agreements are also set to be transferred to another provider.

The competition authority’s third requirement involves giving rivals access to the fibre network being acquired, as is the case with Telenor’s existing network.

Telenor president and CEO Benedicte Schilbred Fasmer highlighted the deal strengthens its position in the market and “is good for customers and for market development”.

“Whilst we disagree that remedies were necessary, we are pleased to have reached a resolution,” the executive added, noting the transaction would bolster its customer numbers by 125,000 and take its market share in Norway’s consumer fibre market from 22% to 29%.

The deal is expected to complete in the second-half of the year, with a gradual customer transition afterwards.

Telenor noted the initial NOK6 billion ($634 million) purchase price would be adjusted after it meets the remedies and disclosed at that time.

GlobalConnect plans to continue to serve its base of 12,000 business customers in Norway, spanning enterprises of various sizes, the public sector and global cloud companies.

The post Telenor given conditional nod for Norway fibre buy appeared first on Mobile World Live.

AMD unveiled plans to invest up to £2 billion over five years to accelerate AI innovation and research across the UK, using the opening of London Tech Week to spotlight a push on sovereign infrastructure and research partnerships.

The US-based chip company said the commitment aims to support advanced computing, scientific research and workforce development, while expanding access to the infrastructure needed for AI-led discovery and public sector innovation.

AMD CEO Lisa Su said the UK has “the talent, research excellence and ambition to help lead the next era of AI,” adding the company would work with government, academia and industry to expand access to compute infrastructure needed to “advance sovereign AI, accelerate discovery and drive long-term economic growth”.

As part of the plan, AMD announced a slew of AI-focused partnerships. The company teamed with Imperial College London to advance computational science and research spanning areas including healthcare innovation, climate modelling and AI optimisation.

AMD and Dell Technologies will also work with the University of Cambridge on national AI infrastructure projects, including the Zenith AI supercomputer and Sunrise fusion AI system to support AI-driven scientific work across areas including healthcare research, materials science and fusion research.

In addition, the chipmaker will work with photonic networking company Oriole Networks on the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) Scaling Inference Lab, a national testbed for AI hardware focused on targeting infrastructure bottlenecks.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves called AMD’s investment “a major vote of confidence in Britain’s place as a global AI superpower”, while technology secretary Liz Kendall added it reflected “the strength of Britain’s talent, research and ambition in AI”.

London Tech Week starts today (8 June) and runs until 12 June, bringing together technology companies, investors and policymakers to discuss digital innovation across the UK.

The post AMD plots £2B UK AI push appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Luxembourg’s OQ Technology plans to test direct-to-smartphone satellite connectivity next year in Germany using a local telco’s cellular spectrum, setting up a challenge to U.S.-led services in the emerging market.

The post OQ Technology plans direct-to-smartphone demo with cellular spectrum appeared first on SpaceNews.