HMD has introduced a new smartphone aimed at protecting children from explicit content online. The device, called the HMD Fuse, comes with an AI-powered feature named HarmBlock+, designed to block sexual images and prevent children from creating or sharing them.
HarmBlock+ is built directly into the phone’s camera system and works across all apps, including messaging and social platforms. It can detect and block nude or sexual content whether it’s being recorded, sent, received, or even streamed live. HMD claims the Fuse is the first smartphone with safety controls that children cannot bypass, addressing a major concern for parents who often find restrictions too easy to disable.
The AI model behind HarmBlock+ was developed by online safety firm SafeToNet, trained on a large dataset of harmful images to accurately filter explicit content. This function comes at a time when online risks for young people are growing: a Vodafone survey found that one in five high school–aged children in the UK have felt pressured into sharing an explicit image of themselves, while nearly half of parents worry their child could receive such images.
Beyond HarmBlock+, the HMD Fuse includes a range of parental controls. Parents can limit app usage, enforce screen-time caps, and enable location tracking, which updates every 24 seconds. The phone allows the creation of safe zones that trigger alerts when entered or exited, and it defaults to blocking internet browsing and social media apps. The device is also designed to “grow” with the child: parents can start with a restricted setup—calls, texts, and GPS only—and gradually unlock additional features as their child matures.
This isn’t HMD’s first child-focused device; the company launched the Fusion X1 earlier this year with similar protective features. However, the Fuse marks a more advanced attempt to combine traditional smartphone functions with strong online safety safeguards, positioning it as a family-first alternative to mainstream devices.
