Security Flaws Undercut HMD Fuse’s ‘World’s Safest Phone’ Claim

HMD launched the Fuse in August 2025 as a children’s smartphone with SafeToNet’s HarmBlock+ embedded in the operating system. The technology was promoted as able to block the viewing, capture and sharing of nude images across apps without being disabled or bypassed. UK ministers Jess Phillips and Peter Kyle appeared in a promotional video in early 2026, elevating the handset into a showcase for the government’s push to make child-safety protections work at device level.

Security researcher Paul Moore found that password resets were not tied to email addresses and said he could strip away the protections in about an hour, impersonate a parent, view a child’s live GPS location and remotely manage apps. HMD took Xplora’s parental-control platform offline on July 9, notified the Information Commissioner’s Office and restored service on July 22 after security changes. HMD said the on-device nudity blocker remained functional and found no evidence of abuse beyond the researcher. Vodafone removed the Fuse listing, while Three showed it as out of stock.