World-first new smartphone designed for children blocks nude content from the camera and across all apps
Human Mobile Devices, SafeToNet and Vodafone committed to supporting better online experiences for children with new safer smartphone: HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+
- Human Mobile Devices (HMD) unveils the world’s first smartphone – HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ – debuting groundbreaking HarmBlock AI from SafeToNet built into the device that works across the camera and screen. It prevents children from filming or sending nude content, and from seeing or saving nude and sexual images – even within a livestream.
- The first smartphone that can grow with your child: Starting as a basic device, HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ gradually introduces features when the parent or guardian and their child are ready with parental controls
- The built-in parental controls, allow parents to supervise and manage their child's phone usage, including app access, screen time, and location tracking every 24 secs. The phone also prioritizes safety with features like default blocking of internet and social media apps, and the ability to set safe zones and receive alerts when those zones are entered or exited.
- The new HarmBlock AI technology debuting on the HMD Fuse is embedded into the device and works across the camera and is pre-trained ethically on 22 million harmful nude images – it’s the first protection tool children can’t bypass
- HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ is a byproduct of surveys and research carried out by HMD with 37,000 parents and children globally to create a new portfolio of family-friendly devices with 15-years of heritage in the Digital Parenting and Online Safety space; Vodafone is the first operator to globally launch the device
- The launch of HMD Fuse follows new research from Vodafone that reveals one in five secondary school aged children (11–17) have felt pressured into sharing an explicit image of themselves.¹
- 85% of parents are planning to buy their child a new phone before they start secondary school but admit to having concerns around their child receiving explicit images (46%).¹
The world’s first smartphone for children that blocks nude content across camera and apps launches today – the HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ produced by Human Mobile Devices was developed in partnership with online safety experts SafeToNet (creators of HarmBlock AI). This is a pioneering step in online child protection. It is the first smartphone that protects a child’s innocence by stopping nude content from being filmed, seen, shared and stored. Launched exclusively with Vodafone in the UK, the HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ marks a watershed moment in digital parenting and online safety.
The HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ is a new ‘stepping stone’ smartphone for families designed to tackle the growing online safety crisis for children while providing a first-of-its kind solution for UK parents. Designed to keep children safer online with built-in, operating system-level parental controls and AI-powered harm-blocking technology for real-time protection from nude content, the HMD Fuse arrives at a time when cyberbullying and online stranger danger is soaring amongst UK children.
The parental controls allow app management; parents can approve or block apps, set daily usage limits for each app, and even schedule screen-free times for specific activities like bedtime or study time. It also allows for real-time location tracking with location history and safe zone alerts helps parents keep track of their child's whereabouts. In addition parents can whitelist trusted contacts, limiting calls and messages to approved individuals, enhancing communication safety.
“We believe this will be the most impactful smartphone launch of the year. We’ve created not just a new phone, but a new category. One that recognises children’s evolving needs and puts safety at the heart of the experience from day one. When you give your child a smartphone, you bring a stranger and unknown dangers into your home. You can’t watch them always online, but now you have peace of mind that there’s protection in place even when you can’t be there, all while keeping their privacy in place. That’s why we believe this is a huge step forward in making a safer phone.”
The Better Phone Project
The HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ was born out of The Better Phone Project, HMD’s largest to date co-design initiative, which consulted over 37,000 parents and children globally. Parents’ message was clear: “There is no device on the market we fully trust to keep our children safe online.”
During The Better Phone Project, Parents reported a lack of balance; devices were either overexposed to risk or too locked-down to be functional. With safety apps often easy to bypass, families needed something more robust, more intelligent, and far more intentional. They need a phone that grows with their child.
HarmBlock AI
A world-first AI: HarmBlock is a brilliant example of using tech for good. It is embedded deep into the operating system (it’s not an app or on the cloud). It’s a first-of-its-kind AI protection system, ethically trained on over 22 million harmful images. The camera helps prevent children sending nude content, stopping sexual photos or videos from being captured. HarmBlock AI operates locally, offline, on any app, camera, website, or message. It is privacy-centric (no user data, including photos, videos, or browsing history, is shared outside the device).
“This is a line in the sand. HarmBlock+ doesn’t collect personal data. It just protects across every app, including VPNs.”
“We are seeing a rise in peer-to-peer online abuse and child exploitation. This is the first and only AI to stop that. In essence, we have made the HMD Fuse pornography incompatible.”
“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.”
“Children and young people are increasingly being exposed to criminals and predators who can target them through their phones, putting them at risk of grooming, exploitation, coercion, and abuse."
“We know any device with the internet and a camera can, sadly, be an open door for criminals to access any home and inflict the most extreme abuse. This can cost lives."
“This is why proactive efforts to make children’s devices safer are so important, and we welcome this move towards creating technology with safety baked in.”
Designed to grow with your child
Unlike any smartphone before it, the HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ is designed to evolve with your child, guided by an advanced parental control system. Parents can choose to add or remove any application from the device (even the camera). So with the HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ the child can start their digital journey using this smartphone as a “brick phone” with calls, texts, and location tracking only. Over time, they can gradually unlock features like music apps and eventually controlled web access and messaging apps.
“Every step is a conversation between parent and child. And HarmBlock+ is there the entire time, quietly protecting in the background. We’re not just giving kids access to technology, we’re teaching them how to navigate it safely.”
Michaela Community School students first look at the HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+
Children at Michaela Community School in Wembley were the first to see the new device:
“We can’t keep handing our children unfettered access to the internet without protection.”
“This device gives parents the power to intervene, to guide, and to protect, and for that, it could change lives.”
Research reveals the crisis at hand, in a recent Vodafone survey which found 1 in 5 of secondary school aged children (11-17) have felt pressured into sharing an explicit image of themselves. For many who shared images, the emotional impact was instant, with 36% experiencing immediate regret, and 28% anxious it might fall into the wrong hands. Nearly two thirds (63%) later discovered that their images or videos had been forwarded without their consent, with 27% of young people saying they’d seen explicit images of someone at their school via a friend’s device.¹
The study, which surveyed 1,000 parents and secondary school children aged 11–17, alongside 4,555 teachers, found that requests for explicit images came from more than just peers – 17% had been targeted by individuals pretending to be someone they trusted, like a classmate or friend online.
“This is more than a product. It’s a safety net, a statement of intent, and a response"
Available Now
The HMD Fuse Protected with HarmBlock+ is now available in the UK, exclusively from Vodafone UK, which has a long heritage in the Digital Parenting and Online Safety space. Available from £33 a month (£30 upfront cost), the device will be in retail stores and online at vodafone.co.uk/family from 17:00 (BST) today.
The device is also available for Three customers, following the merger of Vodafone and Three. It will roll out to other countries in the coming months, starting with Australia.
HMD’s new Family division continues to grow following a 10% year-on-year increase in feature phone sales and a broader trend of parents turning to safer, simplified devices for their children.
“This is the first step in rewriting the rulebook on family tech, because no child should be put in danger because of their device, and no parent should have to choose between connection and protection.”
HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+ top six features at a glance:
- HarmBlock AI – Helps to prevent nudity from being recorded, seen, sent, and stored across any app or platform including livestream.
- Growth Journey Design – From brick phone to full smartphone, unlocked by parental discretion
- Granular Parental Controls – Apps, web, contacts, and camera access fully managed via guardian app
- Contact Whitelisting – Messages and calls only from approved contacts
- Location Tracking – Real-time updates, safe zone alerts, and 24-second tracking intervals. And you can turn on the live tracking for 30-minute intervals to save battery on both the parent and child’s device
- Privacy-Centric – No user data (including photos, videos, or browsing history) is shared outside the device
Inbox extras for the children
The device comes with two inbox covers for the phone including a blue flashy outfit - This outfit features a foldable LED light ring that fits neatly around the camera unit so you can evenly light your subjects. When you want to take a selfie. Flip the light ring over the top and now you’re the one who is ready for their close-up. The TPU used in this product is 100% recycled.
Sales package contents:
- HMD Fuse device
- Blue Casual Outfit & Blue Flashy Outfit
- SIM pin
- USB Type-CTM to Type-C cable
- Quick Start guide
- Safety Booklet
Downloads
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1,000 11–17-year-olds and 1,000 parents of 11-17-year-olds. The data was collected between 12.08.25 - 14.08.25. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
About VodafoneThree
VodafoneThree is the UK’s largest mobile network operator serving the fixed and mobile market, formed following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK in June 2025. Through an unprecedented £11 billion investment, VodafoneThree will build the UK’s best network. The network will deliver reliable, quality connectivity to all nations and regions, creating as many as 13,000 jobs and laying a digital foundation for the country’s growth ambitions. VodafoneThree is the only mobile network operator with a fully funded, regulated and guaranteed network build plan, reaching 99.95% population coverage by 2034. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, the company’s mission is to build the UK’s best network. VodafoneThree is a private company, 51% owned by Vodafone and 49% owned by CK Hutchison Holdings. It encompasses all businesses and assets, including Vodafone UK, Three UK, VOXI Mobile, SMARTY and Talkmobile.
About Human Mobile Devices
HMD (Human Mobile Devices) best known as the makers Nokia phones, designs smartphones and technology rooted in what people actually need. Whether it’s stepping back from digital overload or helping families stay connected, HMD’s mission is to provide reliable, repairable, and responsible mobile tech. Learn more at www.hmd.com
About SafeToNet
The internet should lift children up, not put them at risk. SafeToNet is making that a reality and has been protecting children for over 13 years and now safeguards children in over 130 countries. Its groundbreaking technology, HarmBlock, is the first of its kind - built into devices to help stop harmful content before it can reach a child. By preventing cameras from capturing sexual images and videos, we tackle online threats at the source, protecting children in real time. We work with industry leaders and policymakers to make ethical AI the standard, ensuring every child can explore the digital world safely and freely. www.safetonet.com.