Apple will soon begin rolling out in the United Kingdom a tool intended to protect children from sexual predators. The Messages application will be able to detect if a child’s iPhone gets or sends sexually explicit photos.
The feature is already available in the United States.
UK kids warned of sexually explicit photos
Thanks to a feature Apple calls Communication Safety in Messages, a child that receives a nude photo in the Messages application will see only a blur. If the child tries to view it, they will receive an alert that asks, “Are you sure?” along with additional warnings.
The scan for sexually explicit photos happens on the iPhone. “Messages analyses image attachments and determines if a photo contains nudity, while maintaining the end-to-end encryption of the messages,” Apple said in a statement. “The feature is designed so that no indication of the detection of nudity ever leaves the device. Apple does not get access to the messages.”
When Apple originally announced the feature in 2021, it said the iPhone would warn parents if a child accepted or sent a message that had been flagged as sexually explicit. That’s changed, as Apple now says, “No notifications are sent to the parent or anyone else.”
The privacy feature is optional, and is turned off by default. It can only be activated on iCloud accounts that have been set up to include children.
In the United States, Communication Safety in Messages arrived with iOS 15.2 in late December. It’ll debut in the U.K. in the coming weeks.
Via: The Guardian