The UK government announced it will pursue legislative action to mandate that Apple and Google implement technology preventing minors from taking, sharing, or viewing sexually explicit images on their devices. Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy made the announcement after a three-month negotiation period between government officials and the tech companies ended without a voluntary agreement. The initiative follows the government’s earlier announcement of a social media ban for users under 16.
Under the proposed framework, protective features would be built into devices and activated by default for all users under 18. Adult users would be required to verify their age before disabling the restrictions. Nandy stated that tech companies had repeatedly failed to adequately protect children from online harms and that the government could not afford to wait for industry progress while children faced ongoing risks. Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated the protections would represent a fundamental shift in how devices operate by default.
The legislation aims to address self-generated child sexual abuse material, where minors are manipulated into creating and distributing explicit images of themselves. According to the Internet Watch Foundation, self-generated content comprised a quarter of recorded child sexual abuse material in the previous year, totaling more than 140,000 pieces of content over a 12-month period. Labour MP Jess Phillips, a former safeguarding minister, emphasized the potential impact on reducing such exploitation while calling for international coordination to prevent companies from simply relocating operations.
The technical approach would likely involve “client-side scanning,” where device software screens content before encryption or transmission. Privacy researchers noted this method, while less invasive than alternatives, establishes infrastructure for message monitoring. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about age verification requirements for adults seeking to disable safety features. Both Apple and Google indicated ongoing commitment to child safety, with Apple highlighting plans to strengthen existing communication safety features that warn children about explicit content exchanges.
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