UK Government to Force Apple and Google to Block Explicit Images on Children's Phones
The UK is moving from voluntary negotiation to legislation, threatening to mandate OS-level image blocking on children's devices if Apple and Google do not act on their own.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
UK Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy announced a policy to require Apple and Google to block explicit images on smartphones used by children. Talks since June failed to produce an agreement within a three-month deadline, so the government will introduce a framework bill on September 8 mandating device-level child protection features. Apple and Google both said they support the effort and will keep working with UK authorities.
The policy traces back to December 2025, when the government published an action plan on violence against women and girls. In June 2026 it gave the industry three months to produce a roadmap for device-level protections that would stop children from taking, sharing, or viewing nude images on phones and tablets. People close to the talks told The Guardian that both sides wanted a deal but technical privacy questions remained a major obstacle. Nandy said tech companies have failed to protect children and that the government cannot wait for progress at the needed pace. The framework bill will be reassessed if companies develop and deploy technical solutions while it is being drafted. The government also plans to mandate that apps used by children prevent access to and sharing of nude images.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.