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Government to legislate for device-level child protection on tech platforms

The government plans to introduce primary legislation requiring major tech platforms to build device-level protections for children, aiming to prevent the sharing and viewing of nude imagery.

  • The government will introduce primary legislation to mandate device-level protections for children on major tech platforms.
  • Apple and Google have already made commitments and developed operating-level changes to make it harder for children to share nude imagery.
  • The government will also require apps used by children to prevent access to or sharing of nudity.

The government is committing to introducing primary legislation that will require major technology platforms to integrate device-level protections for children. This legislation will be brought before Parliament as soon as possible, with the aim of ensuring swift action on the issue.

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy stated that the government will also require apps used by children to prevent them from accessing or sharing nudity. This measure seeks to address the broader online ecosystem where children are frequently exposed to harm.

Ms Nandy noted that officials from her department and the Home Office have been working with Apple and Google. Both companies have provided commitments and developed operating-level changes to make it harder for children to share nude imagery, including progress in blocking nude imagery on underage devices. However, Ms Nandy indicated that these proposals do not meet the full scale of the crisis.

The government's ambition is for Britain to become a world leader in online safety, aiming to be the first country to implement such extensive measures.

Why this matters: The government believes that current industry efforts are insufficient to protect children from online sexual harm, with around 9,000 child sexual abuse offences annually involving an online element.

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