UK plans legislation requiring Apple to add device-level child nude-image protections
After a three-month voluntary deadline, the UK says Apple and Google’s existing child-safety tools fall short and plans new laws for device-level protections against nude images on children’s phones.
The UK intends to introduce legislation that would require Apple and Google to build device-level protections so children cannot take, share, or view nude images on phones and tablets, according to reporting by Bloomberg via 9to5Mac and related UK coverage as a June voluntary deadline expired.
What the government is asking for
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Parliament that Apple and Google made “meaningful changes” after a three-month push that began in June, but said those changes “do not meet the scale of this crisis.” Ministers want protections that go beyond Messages-style filters to cover the broader device — including camera and third-party apps — and a second track requiring apps used by children to block access to or sharing of nudity.
Nandy said draft legislation would be explored “as soon as we can,” citing Internet Watch Foundation figures that a large share of online child sexual abuse imagery is self-generated and then used for blackmail or sexual extortion.
Apple’s response
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said it shares the UK’s commitment to combating online exploitation and abuse, and that it has shared future plans to strengthen Communication Safety and related tools with UK officials. Apple also noted that it introduced a feature in 2021 that helps prevent children from viewing or sharing photos or videos that contain nudity, and that the feature now includes support for third-party apps.
Apple already turns Communication Safety on by default for under-18 Family Sharing accounts on recent software, with on-device analysis for Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime, and some sharing flows. Officials and campaigners argue that is still not the full-device default block they want, especially for camera capture and broader app coverage.
Why it matters for Apple readers
This is a policy and compliance story, not a Surprise and Shine product leak. Any UK statute that forces OS-level nudity blocking by default would likely collide with age-assurance, privacy, and camera-access design choices on iPhone and iPad — and could influence how Apple ships Screen Time and Communication Safety worldwide versus UK-only.
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