What’s happened? Smartphone maker HMD (Human Mobile Devices), has launched a new smartphone designed to protect kids from harmful content online, with an AI feature which blocks nudes.
- The HMD Fuse comes with a feature called HarmBlock+
- It uses AI to prevent children from filming or sending nude content, and from seeing or saving nude and sexual images.
- The company says the feature works within the camera, and across all apps.
- It’s even able to block nude and sexual images in a livestream.
- Built-in parental controls allow parents to manage usage, and unlock certain features as their child gets older.
- This isn’t the firm’s first foray into kid-friendly phones, as it launched the Fusion X1 earlier this year.
This is important because: A recent Vodafone survey found one in five high school aged children (11-17) have felt pressured into sharing an explicit image of themselves.
- Meanwhile, 46% of parents admit to having concerns around their child receiving explicit images.
- The HarmBlock AI which powers the HarmBlock+ feature has been developed by online safety firm SafeToNet.
- The AI model has been ethically pre-trained on 22 million harmful nude images.
- HMD also claims it’s the first protection tool children can’t bypass.
Why should I care? If you’re a parent who is concerned about the content their children can access on their mobile phone, the HMD Fuse offers a level of safety and security few other handsets can come close to – it’s unlikely the upcoming Google Pixel 10 or iPhone 17 will offer the features here.
- There are a number of other safety features built into the Fuse, including the ability to limit app access and screen time.
- There’s also the option to turn on location tracking every 24 seconds, with the ability to set safe zones. Parents can receive alerts when those zones are entered or exited.
- It also offers default blocking of internet and social media apps.
- HMD says the Fuse can ‘grow’ with the child, as parents have the ability to lock the phone down to just calls, texts and location to start with, and then unlock more features and apps as their kid gets older.
Okay, what’s next? The HMD Fuse is currently only available in the UK, via the carrier Vodafone, where it costs £33 per month (plus a £30 upfront cost).
- HMD has confirmed the Fuse will arrive in other countries in the coming months, starting with Australia.
- There’s currently no word on whether it’ll be available in the US.
- We contacted HMD about US availability, but a spokesperson was only able to confirm the current expansion plan to Australia and New Zealand.
