The UK government has announced it will introduce legislation to force Apple and Google to block explicit images on children's smartphones. This decision follows the failure of talks to produce a breakthrough by a three-month deadline that ended on Tuesday.
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, stated that the government would begin work on an act of parliament. This legislation aims to prevent under-18s from taking, sharing, or viewing nude images on their devices.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said these protections would be "built into the device and switched on by default." Tech companies will also be required to verify an adult user's age before they can take, view, or send nude images.
Google stated it was "pleased to have made progress" in talks and was "fully committed" to working with various parties to "keep children safe, while also protecting privacy and access to information." An Apple spokesperson indicated the company is preparing to strengthen its "communication safety" feature, which warns children about receiving or sending nude images and videos.