Overview
- Officials plan to ask iOS and Android to detect explicit images and block capturing, sharing, or viewing unless a user verifies adulthood through biometrics or official ID.
- The move is expected to launch as encouragement rather than a legal requirement, after ministers considered but set aside a UK sales mandate for now.
- Measures would focus on mobile devices first, with potential expansion to desktops and other device classes.
- Apple’s Communication Safety and Google’s Family Link provide opt-in safeguards today, but neither company offers a system-wide block that covers third-party apps.
- Privacy and accuracy objections are already raised, while porn-industry firm Aylo has promoted device-based age verification, and reports note proposals to require convicted child sex offenders to keep such blockers enabled.