The UK plans to push for "nude blocking" software to be enabled by default on electronic devices to protect minors from inappropriate content as part of a strategy to combat violence against women and girls.
The British government plans to urge technology companies, including Apple and Google, to build "nudity detection" algorithms into mobile phone and computer operating systems so that devices automatically filter explicit images by default. Only adults who have passed age verification can shoot or view nude content involving genitalia and other things. This idea will be written into the overall strategy for combating violence against women and girls to be announced by the Home Office. The authorities have discussed whether to make such functions mandatory for devices sold in the UK, but have not yet moved towards hard legislation, instead prioritizing industry promotion.
Unlike Australia, which directly promotes a ban on the use of social media by teenagers under the age of 16, the UK has chosen to focus on limiting minors' exposure to harmful content. However, the risk of children encountering adult sexual grooming and premature exposure to pornographic content has triggered increasingly strong concerns in political and social circles. Jess Phillips, the minister responsible for child protection, praised companies such as HMD Global, which has launched devices for children with built-in "harmful content blocking" capabilities, using software called HarmBlock, developed by British company SafeToNet, to automatically identify and block explicit images.
At present, Apple and Google have provided sensitive content warning functions for young users in their mobile operating systems, but relevant prompts can often be bypassed by simply entering a password. The Home Office wants future operating systems to globally block any nude images from being displayed on the screen unless the user completes adult identity verification via biometrics or official ID; convicted child sex offenders will be required to forcibly keep such blocking features turned on.
British officials said that although the current policy focuses on mobile devices, the same technical model can also be extended to terminals such as desktops and laptops. Collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams already have the ability to scan "inappropriate content" and are regarded as one of the technical paths that can be learned. However, this series of claims is expected to encounter questions about privacy and civil liberties, as well as the actual effectiveness - after the UK implemented the age verification system for adult websites, some users have bypassed restrictions by forging photos or using "change online region" services.
The UK's push echoes the relevant policies recently introduced by Australia, which has encouraged technology companies to add "nudity detection, image blurring or early warning prompts" and other functional settings into the operating system. The British side hopes that the nudity blocking technology will be matched with the "Cybersecurity Law": the latter requires platforms to establish mechanisms to promptly remove illegal content and materials that may be harmful to children, thereby strengthening the online protection of minors at the dual levels of legal obligations and technical means.