The UK government is planning to introduce legislation that shifts child safety requirements from individual app content moderation to the operating system and device level. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated that the government intends to mandate that tech companies, specifically Apple and Google, implement mechanisms to prevent minors from capturing, sharing, or viewing explicit imagery on mobile devices.
This initiative follows a voluntary compliance period set in June 2026, during which Apple and Google introduced content protection features. However, UK officials argue these measures remain insufficient to fully stop the distribution of explicit selfies by children. The proposed regulations aim to integrate risk detection directly into the OS to intercept harmful content during the capture or transmission process.
Apple noted it has provided tools to prevent the viewing or sharing of explicit media since 2021, with support for third-party applications, and is discussing further enhancements to its communication safety features. Google expressed willingness to collaborate with regulators and developers. The UK government indicated it might reconsider the necessity of new legislation if companies implement the required restrictions voluntarily.
