Can Apple and Google Prevent Kids from Sharing Explicit Images? Insights and Solutions

The UK government has given tech companies a three-month deadline to implement measures that prevent children from creating or sharing explicit images on their devices, or they will face regulatory action.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, “I urge technology companies in the UK to put in place stringent regulations to prevent children from sending or receiving sexually explicit images,” during a speech on June 8th. “This is an achievable goal. Should they fail to comply, we will enact new laws.”

Leading smartphone operating system developers Apple and Google have already introduced partial controls. For instance, Apple’s iOS features a “Sensitive Content Alert” that detects and blurs explicit images or videos when sent or received through first-party messaging or AirDrop. This automatic system, active by default on child accounts, doesn’t scan for nudity when an image is captured, but rather upon transmission. The technology assesses potential nudity using on-device machine learning models.

Similarly, Google has integrated a feature in its Android operating system known as Sensitive Content Warning, a machine-learning system that’s also activated by default for child accounts on images sent via Google Messages, albeit not for videos.

These functions utilize a different image hash list managed by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), designed to identify and prevent the sharing of known child abuse images across websites and social media platforms.

Extending these services to encompass all smartphone applications such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Signal, and X may prove significantly more challenging. It will require analyzing content within platforms not directly controlled by operating system developers like Google and Apple. Additionally, ensuring that children only utilize child accounts poses its own challenges. Currently, both Google and Apple necessitate parents to explicitly establish child accounts; this is not automatically activated.

There are also concerns regarding whether Apple’s sensitive content warning can be applied to all devices. Users must update their phones to iOS 17 or later. Approximately 10% of devices currently lack this capability globally. Google’s functionality is limited to devices running Android 9 or higher, meaning about 5 percent of devices worldwide remain unable to utilize it. While specific figures for the UK are unavailable, this could number in the millions of devices.

Sources suggest that the UK government is advocating for Apple and Google to broaden these nudity detection features to mobile phone cameras and third-party apps. Explicit images would only be permissible if users verify their age through age assurance services. This approach mirrors the restriction that prevents under-18s from accessing adult websites in the UK following the Online Safety Act’s implementation in July 2025.

However, the reliability of such age-check services has come into question, with numerous reports of children bypassing the checks. “Current age verification methods fail to significantly prevent minors from accessing adult content,” claims Liam McLoughlin, an expert from Edge Hill University in the UK.

“The overly aggressive application of technology raises a variety of challenges, including inadvertently limiting access to educational and medical resources, fostering feelings of body shame, and heightening concerns about creeping censorship,” said Julian Hayes, a data protection lawyer at BCL Solicitors in the UK. “To combat online risks, we need to educate children about safe online behavior, promote respectful relationships, and exemplify positive attitudes ourselves,” he suggested.

“This approach leans too heavily on technological solutions and grants excessive control to tech companies,” states Carolina Are from the London School of Economics. “It’s an initiative likely crafted for attention, yet much harder to actualize in practice.”

Apple did not respond to requests for comments prior to publication. A Google spokesperson stated to New Scientist: “Google is highly committed to safeguarding children online. We are collaborating with our UK partners to develop effective, privacy-focused solutions for mitigating the spread of harmful content while ensuring a secure digital environment for young individuals.”