UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered Apple and Google to activate built-in safety features that block children from accessing sexually explicit images on their devices. The directive targets both companies' existing technology designed to detect and prevent the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Starmer's push comes amid growing pressure to combat child exploitation online. Apple's Communication Safety tool and Google's similar detection systems already exist within their operating systems but remain largely inactive by default. The government expects both firms to enable these protections automatically rather than requiring parents to manually activate them.
The move reflects escalating tensions between tech giants and governments worldwide over child safety. UK officials argue that leaving such features dormant leaves children unnecessarily vulnerable. Both Apple and Google have faced criticism for moving slowly on child protection despite possessing the technology.
Apple's system uses on-device scanning to identify known child sexual abuse material before images are sent or received. Google employs similar detection methods within its ecosystem. Activating these by default would represent a significant shift in how the companies balance privacy with protection, though both systems work without scanning message content itself.
The order carries implicit regulatory threat. Starmer's government has signaled willingness to legislate if tech companies fail to comply voluntarily. The Online Safety Bill, already in effect, gives regulators authority to impose requirements on platforms handling illegal content involving minors.
Apple and Google have not yet publicly responded to the directive. Industry observers note the companies often resist default-on safety features due to privacy concerns and user preference settings, but child protection demands increasingly override those objections globally.