The United Kingdom wants Apple and Google to block nude images at the operating system level

United Kingdom wants the companies responsible for mobile and computer operating systems to introduce protections that detect and block nude images unless users have been verified as adults.

The British government intends to present a proposal for companies such as Apple and Google to block sexually explicit and nudity images by default to that minors cannot access them.

The tools would be implemented at the operating system levelthat is, iOS and Andrioid, respectively, and not only in messaging or file-sharing services as is currently the case, to reduce the exposure of minors to pornography and harassment by adults.

The objective of this measure, which would be part of the strategy that addresses violence against women and girls, aims to Users must authenticate as adults to be able to take photographs and share nude images, according to the Financial Times. The blockade would remain in place for child sex offenders.

According to sources familiar with this proposal, the measure has initially focused on mobile operating systems, but it is also intended to extend to computers.

Apple and Google already offer explicit content detection, although their systems do not act as broadly as the one the British government intends to implement. The Cupertino firm has what it calls communications security for minor accounts, which when it detects this type of sensitive content, blur the photo or video before the minor can see it.

This system, which works on iPhone, iPad, masOS, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, is compatible with several Apple applications, such as iMessage, AirDrop and FaceTime, and offers useful resources so you can seek help from an adult, although also the option to see it.

For its part, Google has implemented sensitive content alerts in the Messages app, displayed when the user receives, sends or forwards nude images. They are activated by default for users under 18 years of age.

The images that the system detects they blur and are accompanied by resources to seek help or block the phone number from which they were sent. Users can also decide to view the content.