UK weighs tech law on children's nude images

The UK government said Wednesday it is considering legislation that would require technology companies to add default safeguards to devices to stop children from taking, viewing or sharing nude images on phones and tablets.

The digital, culture and media department said companies including Apple and Google had made progress after being given three months in June to introduce safety features, but had not gone far enough to meet the government's aims. It said the need for legal requirements would be reassessed if companies introduce their own solutions.

The government previously said legislation could include fines for companies that fail to comply and possibly criminal liability for technology bosses.

Officials said Apple had introduced age-verification requirements for UK users and default safety features for under-18s, but nudity detection did not yet apply to the camera, third-party messaging apps or search functions. Apple said it shared the UK's commitment to fighting online exploitation and had discussed plans to strengthen its safety tools with UK officials. Google said it was an industry leader in combating non-consensual intimate imagery.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said protection should be built into devices and switched on by default, with companies required to prove a user is an adult.