UK Plans World-First Law to Force Apple and Google to Block Nude Photos on Kids’ Phones

Apple and Google will be legally required to block explicit and nude photos on children’s smartphones in the U.K. under what is believed to be the world’s first legislation of its kind.

Apple and Google, which develop the operating systems used by most smartphones in the U.K., were given a three-month deadline in June to prevent children under 18 from accessing, creating, or sharing nude photos on their devices.

At the time, the U.K. government said the companies must use built-in device features or other technology to address the risks of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual exploitation, and children’s access to pornography. The directive was announced by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly before he left office.

The three-month deadline expired Tuesday, but the U.K. government says Apple and Google have not done enough to meet its demands. It now plans to change the law, potentially creating what officials describe as the first legislation of its kind in the world.

According to a report by the BBC, U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says while both companies had made “significant commitments,” their current proposals “do not meet the scale of this crisis.”

“For too long, technology companies have failed to protect children from the worst harms,” Nandy says. “And to be frank, I am not prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt that progress will continue at the pace we need it to while harm is being done now.”

Nandy says the U.K. government intends to require Apple and Google to prevent nude images from appearing on devices used by children “as soon as they can.” However, she says the government could reconsider the measure if the companies develop and deploy effective solutions before the legislation takes effect.

The proposed rules would not stop at device manufacturers either. They would also require apps aimed at children to implement safeguards against nude imagery. Nandy says the U.K. government would consider applying similar requirements to platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.

“This will ensure that the whole ecosystem changes, tackling the means by which children are most often abused or groomed in the online world,” Nandy explains.

An Apple spokesperson tells the BBC that it launched its Communication Safety feature in 2021 to help stop children from seeing or sharing imagery containing nudity — and had since “continued to expand its capabilities”.

“We share the UK’s commitment to combating exploitation and abuse online, and have shared with UK officials future plans to strengthen Communication Safety and other tools even further to help keep kids safe,” they said.

Meanwhile, a Google spokesperson tells the outlet that it was an “industry leader in combating non-consensual intimate imagery and advancing child safety across our products”.

The spokesperson adds that Google was pleased to have “made progress” and remained committed to working on efforts to keep children safe online.

The news comes after the Australian government announced plans last week to introduce another world-first social media law by allowing people the choice to opt out of content recommended by algorithms.

 

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