Some Android users are starting to see a new privacy safeguard pop up in Google Messages. Images flagged as nudity are being blurred before you open them. It's part of Google's Sensitive Content Warning system, a feature designed to protect people from receiving unwanted or explicit photos.
When enabled, as Google's Help Center post describes, the phone automatically scans images for nudity, blurs anything that looks explicit, and shows a warning before you view, send or forward it. The detection happens entirely on your device, so flagged content isn't uploaded to Google's servers. Along with the blur, the system also offers resources on what to do if you're dealing with sensitive images.
The setting isn't switched on by default for adults, but teens using supervised accounts will have it locked in place unless a parent changes it through the Google Family Link app. And while the tool is meant to help, Google admits there's a chance it might flag harmless images by mistake.
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How to enable or disable the feature
For adults who want to be warned about nude photos or to disable the feature, the toggle switch is under Google Messages Settings / Protection & Safety / Manage sensitive content warnings / Warnings in Google Messages.
The nude content feature is part of SafetyCore on Android 9 plus devices. SafetyCore also includes features Google has been working on to protect against scams and dangerous links via text and to verify contacts.
Measuring the feature's effectiveness
Filters that screen for objectionable images have become more sophisticated due to a better understanding of context through AI.
"Compared to older systems, today's filters are far more adept at catching explicit or unwanted content, like nudity, with fewer mistakes," says Patrick Moynihan, the co-founder and president of Tracer Labs. "But they're not foolproof. Edge cases, like artistic nudity, culturally nuanced images or even memes, can still trip them up."
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