The UK government has announced plans to enforce legislation requiring Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Alphabet Inc.‘s Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) to block explicit images on children’s smartphones.
The decision comes after unsuccessful talks with the tech giants. According to Lisa Nandy, the UK’s Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the government will commence work on an act of Parliament aimed at preventing under-18s from taking, sharing, or viewing explicit content on their devices, The Guardian reported.
Despite the three-month deadline for talks with Apple and Google having passed, Nandy stated that the tech companies could still reach an agreement. However, she emphasized that it was “almost certain” that unprecedented legislation would be needed.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham added that these protections would be “built into the device and switched on by default,” and tech companies will be required to verify an adult user’s age before they are allowed to view or send explicit content. The government also intends to extend these restrictions to children’s apps, which would require additional legislation.
Google and Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
