European smartphone maker HMD, which will unveil a new handset tomorrow, is shifting gears into online safety — with a controversial focus on porn censorship.

Struggling to gain traction in Australia, the company is targeting parents with its new HarmBlock+ software, designed to stop children from creating, sharing, or accessing explicit images and videos.

The system uses AI integrated into the phone’s camera and search tools, automatically blocking attempts to view, save, or live-stream nudity. Parents can adjust access levels based on age and approve content when deemed appropriate.

The move comes as concerns about children’s exposure to sexual content online continue to grow. A Vodafone survey found one in five high school students (aged 11–17) had been pressured into sharing explicit images, while nearly half of parents worried about their child receiving them.

HarmBlock+ is powered by SafeToNet’s HarmBlock AI, which the company says has been ethically trained on 22 million harmful nude images. HMD claims the system is the first of its kind that children cannot bypass.

Beyond porn blocking, the phones will offer parental controls including app restrictions, screen-time management, real-time location tracking every 24 seconds, and the option to set “safe zones” with alerts when kids move in or out of them.

The push also aligns with growing regulatory pressure in Australia. Under the Online Safety Act 2021, industry bodies are required to develop codes that keep minors safe from harmful content, including mandatory age verification for adult sites. The eSafety Commissioner is actively enforcing these standards across platforms.

This isn’t HMD’s first attempt at a family-friendly device. Earlier this year it launched the Fusion X1, which failed to make a splash in the local market. With HarmBlock+, the company is betting that parents worried about online safety could finally give its smartphones a competitive edge.