UK Government Urges Apple & Google to Add Age Checks for Nude Images on Phones

The United Kingdom is urging the leading technology companies, such as Apple and Google, to implement new measures that would prevent the presentation of sexually explicit images on their mobile phones unless the age of the user has been confirmed. The proposal is one of the broader actions of the government on child protection and minimizing exposure to harmful content. 

On the proposed model, iPhones, Android devices, and even computers, in the future, could automatically block out the images found to have nudity in them until the user can confirm that they are an adult. This would supersede the existing parental controls, where age verification will become a default before sensitive imagery is accessed. 

The government is pressuring Apple and Google to develop software that detects nudity in their operating systems. These systems would scan the content on the device and block entry unless the individual using the phone confirms that they are above 18 years of age. Although both companies already have certain tools that can be used by the family to filter inappropriate content, it would be a much more comprehensive, integrated level of content control. 

The program is associated with the extended legislation on safety in the UK regarding the issues of harm and violence against women and children. This is where the government is promoting the adoption of age verification measures voluntarily, as opposed to making them mandatory. 

The application of such systems, however, brings about the issue of privacy, accuracy, and the effectiveness of such age-verification tools in the real world. There were previously concerns by civil liberties groups and some experts regarding excessive intrusive monitoring and how personal information can be abused, and this is bound to re-emerge as the plan is developed.

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