Apple Faces New UK Rules over Nude Images on Children’s iPhones
Ministers say the measure is needed to curb grooming and sextortion, after Internet Watch Foundation data showed 91% of abuse reports involved child-generated content.
- On Tuesday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy introduced draft legislation forcing device makers to block children from taking or sharing nude images, following a failed June deadline for Apple and Google to implement voluntary safeguards.
- Nandy told Parliament that while Apple and Google made "meaningful changes" since June, current proposals "do not meet the scale of this crisis," prompting the government to introduce potential criminal liability for non-compliant executives.
- The proposed law would require blocking nude imagery across all device features and third-party apps, with users needing "robust" age-assurance verification to access such content; officials expect to publish further details in coming months.
- Privacy campaigners, including the Open Rights Group, warned the measures could create "invisible surveillance infrastructure," forcing adults through a "digital ID checkpoint" and enabling broader unauthorized scanning of private messages.
- Beyond device-level protections, Nandy is also pursuing a sweeping social media ban for children under 16 set to take effect by spring 2027, while exploring new regulations targeting AI chatbots to restrict digital environments for minors.
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Nudity detection filters should be enabled by default on devices and apps used by under-18s, without parents having to make any changes to the settings.
UK repeats demands for child safety features that Apple already made
Apple's child safety toolset is already robust and expanding with iOS 27, but the UK government isn't happy and continues to threaten legislation.Apple already offers tools and APIs for protecting children from content they shouldn't be viewing or sendingApple introduced Sensitive Content Warnings with iOS 17 in 2023 for child accounts and later introduced it as an option for adults. Several new features have been added since, including age veri…
Apple faces new UK rules over nude images on children’s iPhones
Bloomberg reports that the UK intends to introduce legislation that would require Apple and Google to “stop children from taking, sharing or viewing nude images on their phones and tablets.” Here are the details. more…
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