Apple and Google Might Be Pushed to Implement Age-Proof Access for Explicit Images in the UK
It is quite possible that UK regulators are going to compel Apple and Google to make the OS-level age verification for explicit images on iOS and Android devices. Here’s the impact on users, privacy and app developers.
image for illustrative purpose
In the very near future, Apple and Google might have the new UK regulatory pressure to enforce age verification at the operating system level for adult content, a measure that would strengthen online safety and halt the abuse of women and girls. A publication Financial Times has reported that the Government of the UK is considering compulsory changes at the operating system level, which in turn would affect iOS and Android devices.
The measure suggested would mean that the Internet user would have to go through an additional process of checking age before accessing and/or sharing adult content with others. The system will not be like those controls that are limited to apps, where the bypassing of the filing safeguards will be easier because the system will be running on the platform level.
UK Government's Demand for OS-level Safety Controls
UK Government's Officials think that the flow of the harmful and non-consensual explicit content needs to be filtered by the introduction of the tech guardrails. Among the Home office sources mentioned in the report are those claiming that maybe the new age-proof mechanism will be built on the Biometric authentication like Face ID, Fingerprint Recognition, or even the government-issued Digital ID system.
Possibly the system would first be put on smartphones, and later it would be extended to desktop and laptop platforms along with the same protection.
Regional Rollout, Privacy Issues and Technical Challenges
Apple and Google are already providing content safety tools, however, the UK government still wants a more foolproof and universal solution. The implementation of such changes for one region might be complicated, akin to the difficulties the companies deal with in the EU for region-specific compliance.
One more reason for the implementation to take long is having to make sure that age verification system works for all third-party apps and not only for native services like iMessage or Google Messages. WhatsApp, Snapchat, and other messaging apps will also have to be integrated with OS-level framework that will require the dedication of time and resources from the operating system producers as well as app developers.
Privacy versus Safety
Even though it is a common understanding that age-proofing explicit content is a good thing security-wise, the experts are still concerned that privacy issues and system loopholes will need to be handled with utmost care. The countries that have tried age restrictions on social media in the past have concluded that weak enforcement results in user-friendliness of the systems.
Tighter online safety regulations are becoming a global trend pushed by governments and similar age-verification requirements could be more prevalent. The UK regulators are expected to such formal ruling soon after which Apple and Google will have to reveal how they plan to either facilitate or oppose the suggested changes.
