The United Kingdom government is preparing to ask leading technology companies, including Apple and Google, to introduce built-in nudity-blocking systems on phones and computers to prevent children from viewing sexually explicit images unless adults verify their age.

The initiative, reported to be imminent in official announcements, would see device operating systems incorporate nudity-detection algorithms that block nude content by default, requiring users to confirm they are adults via biometric checks or official identification before such material can be displayed.

Although the government has opted not to mandate these capabilities for devices sold in the UK at this stage, officials have indicated the proposal could become a requirement if the voluntary measures do not achieve the intended protection objectives.

The push forms part of a broader strategy to tackle violence against women and girls and to enhance the protection of minors online, building on existing age-assurance measures under the UK’s Online Safety Act that require platforms to verify users’ ages before granting access to adult content.

Under the current framework, social media and adult content sites must deploy age-verification systems, but many services have struggled to implement sufficiently robust checks, prompting calls from policymakers for device-level solutions.

Tech companies already offer some parental controls and sensitive content warnings, but the newly proposed approach would extend beyond optional settings to default system behaviour across apps and services.

Privacy and civil liberties advocates are expected to scrutinise the proposals, raising questions about effectiveness and personal data handling, as the government prepares to outline the initiative formally in forthcoming policy guidance.