The UK government reportedly will “encourage” Apple and Google to prevent phones from displaying nude images except when users verify that they are adults.
The forthcoming push for nudity-blocking systems was reported by the Financial Times today. The report said the UK won’t institute a legal requirement “for now.” But asking companies to block nude images could be the first step toward making it mandatory if the government doesn’t get what it wants.
“The UK government wants technology companies to block explicit images on phones and computers by default to protect children, with adults having to verify their age to create and access such content,” the FT report said. “Ministers want the likes of Apple and Google to incorporate nudity-detection algorithms into their device operating systems to prevent users taking photos or sharing images of genitalia unless they are verified as adults.”
If the UK gets its way, operating systems like iOS and Android would “prevent any nudity being displayed on screen unless the user has verified they are an adult through methods such as biometric checks or official ID. Child sex offenders would be required to keep such blockers enabled.” The Home Office “has initially focused on mobile devices,” but the push could be expanded to desktops, the FT said. Government officials point out that Microsoft can already scan for “inappropriate content” in Microsoft Teams, the report said.
The UK’s “Home Office is expected to encourage companies to introduce such controls as part of its strategy to tackle violence against women and girls” when it announces the initiative in the coming days, the FT said. People familiar with the matter say that “officials have explored making such controls a mandatory requirement for devices sold in the UK but have decided against such an approach for now,” the report said.