David Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show search firms like Google must do more to stop results from "depraved and disgusting" search terms.
Google said when it discovers child abuse images it acts to remove them. Labour said the PM's plans did not go "far enough" and criticised cuts to online child abuse policing budgets. Google is one of a number of firms which recently agreed on measures to step up the hunt for abusive images.
In June, after a meeting chaired by the culture secretary, the government said Google and others including Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook would allow the charity the Internet Watch Foundation actively to seek out abusive images, rather than just acting upon reports they received.
The prime minister said he wanted search companies to go even further and block certain search terms from providing results. He predicted that the call would prompt a "big argument", but he warned: "If we don't get what we need we'll have to look at legislation."
The interview precedes a speech on Monday, in which Mr Cameron is expected to provide more details of the government's plans. Anyone searching for a word on a "blacklist" compiled by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) should be made to view a webpage warning them of the consequences, "such as losing their job, their family, even access to their children", Mr Cameron will say.
Source: BBC News
