UK officials told app stores and handset makers to block explicit images on kids’ phones by September.
The mandate requires providers to scan every picture and refuse to deliver any that match a government‑defined list of sexual content. The deadline gives firms roughly three months to roll out the technology, and penalties for non‑compliance have not been disclosed.
Privacy advocates warn the broad scanning could mistakenly block harmless material, create a surveillance precedent, and burden smaller developers without clear safeguards. The move also raises questions about who defines “explicit” and how the filters will be audited.
If the policy proceeds, it will join a growing list of state‑driven content controls that often expand beyond their original justification.