Report: Britain wants to force Apple and Google to block nude photos

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According to information from the Financial Times, the British government plans to ask Apple and Google in the coming days to prevent the capture, sharing, and even display of nude photos on their operating systems – unless users prove their age. The Home Office initiative envisages that iOS and Android will integrate system-wide algorithms that recognize nude images to block the capture of genitals and other nude images.

Specifically, according to the report, the Home Office wants to demand that any form of nudity on screens be blocked without prior age verification. Biometric checks or the upload of official identification documents are being discussed as verification methods. The announcement is initially intended as a formal request, not a legal obligation. Nevertheless, the initiative could have far-reaching consequences for the privacy and functionality of mobile operating systems.

Significant tightening of control

The planned measure goes significantly beyond existing child protection features. Apple already offers a feature in the Messages app that blurs explicit images for children and displays a warning. When viewed, a pop-up with an explanation appears, and the family administrator receives a notification. However, this feature is limited to the Messages app and does not work system-wide.

The British proposal, on the other hand, would affect the camera app, sharing functions, and image display in all applications. Implementation would likely be based on local AI models that check images before they are captured, shared, or displayed. Technically, this is similar to Apple's now discontinued NeuralHash project from 2021, which failed due to privacy concerns.

Parallels to US regulatory efforts

The British initiative is part of a growing international trend to hold app store operators centrally responsible for age controls. In the US, the App Store Accountability Act demands that Apple and Google take over age verification centrally, rather than leaving it to each app developer. Apple is actively lobbying against this proposal but has already introduced the Declared Age Range API, which passes age corridors to developers without exact birth dates.

In Germany, state parliaments decided at the end of 2025 on an amendment to the JMStV, which will mandate operating system-level porn filters from December 1, 2027. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are to offer a one-button child mode that restricts browsers and apps. In parallel, the EU Parliament is calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media with verification via the EUDI wallet. In Germany, 60 percent of the population supports a social media ban for under-16s.

Privacy concerns and circumvention possibilities

Critics describe on-device scans as a form of surveillance, even if the processing takes place locally. Risks include false positives, potential mass surveillance, and conflicts with end-to-end encryption. The British Online Safety Act of 2023 already mandates age verification for porn sites. However, this measure can be largely circumvented by VPNs and proxy servers. With system-wide on-device AI scans, VPNs would be ineffective, as processing occurs on the device itself.

It remains unclear whether the British demand will initially only affect mobile devices or will later be extended to desktop operating systems. However, an extension to Windows, macOS, and Linux distributions is conceivable. Apple and Google have not yet commented on the British plans.

(mki)