UK repeats demands for child safety features that Apple made

Apple’s child safety toolset is already robust and expanding with iOS 27, but the UK government isn’t happy and continues to threaten legislation.

Apple introduced Sensitive Content Warnings with iOS 17 in 2023 for child accounts and later introduced it as an option for adults. Several new features have been added since, including age verification systems in the UK, plus a comprehensive rethink of child safety with iOS 27 coming soon.

However, according to a report from Bloomberg, these measures aren’t enough and legislation may still be necessary. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has told the House of Commons that the government would introduce legislation on the matter, but didn’t say when or to what extent.

She’s targeting tech giants like Apple and Google with these legal threats, but both companies have already implemented some level of system-wide parental controls. Apple specifically has increasingly added features targeting parents wanting to further police their children’s activity on their devices and online.

For example, parents can already control what apps they access, who they can communicate with, and when their device can be used. Sensitive Content Warnings already pop up in Messages, FaceTime, and in third-party apps that utilize the API, but they only warn the user of sensitive content instead of blocking it entirely.

“For the children” isn’t always straightforward

Apple announced expanded and rethought parental controls and child safety features during WWDC 2026 that will roll out to the public later in September. Even then, Nandy said these features are a “step in the right direction” but not enough.

Apple already has a child safety website for its new features

The UK legislators haven’t specified how these protections are not sufficient nor how Apple might improve upon them. With iOS 27, parents have control of nearly every minute interaction a child could have on their device, even which websites they visit.

The level of access and control parents have over their children’s accounts is so in-depth that it has led some to be concerned about children’s privacy. Apple argues that it has followed recommendations for how these systems should be in place, and it is up to the parents how far they will take the systems in managing their child.

Those in the LGBTQ community, for example, worry that such controls will isolate a child seeking answers, leaving them unable to do so without alerting their parents to a website they’ve visited. Others worry that such invasive tools will prevent a child from testing boundaries and learning important lessons they otherwise couldn’t in sheltered conditions.

Some speculate that the UK and other governments’ use of “for the children” seeks to erode individual rights by having such OS-level technologies introduced. People fear further encroachment of individual rights and privacy through increased surveillance technologies.

Apple may already comply

Apple can only offer tools for the world to use. It cannot police how those tools are used, and abusive households don’t need technology to enable abuse.

The UK legislators haven’t specified what Apple hasn’t done to satisfy them, yet

However, given the in-depth levels of parent controls and privacy-invading tools already available to parents, it isn’t clear what the UK will demand. Perhaps Apple has already met whatever requirements the UK government will dream up and won’t have to fight with legislators.

There is one potential hole in Apple’s child safety features the UK could attempt to address — the opt-in nature. Apple has advanced tools and APIs for child safety, but developers don’t have to bother implementing them, which renders them useless for that specific app.

To make things more confusing, Nandy said that if tech companies introduce better restrictions, legislation won’t be necessary and a bill won’t be passed.

The UK government is focused on child safety recently and passed one of the world’s strictest social media bans for anyone under 16. While some suggest this is what is best for children’s mental health, others say it pushes children into darker, less regulated portions of the internet to find community.

Thankfully, even though Apple had to implement system-level age verification, it did so without those security-holed ID checker systems. Instead, it uses things like the age of your account, a Face ID scan, and other obvious indicators that don’t invade a user’s privacy.

Like with any tool, there will be people that abuse it. Apple’s child safety tools and parental controls are comprehensive as they are, but the UK could argue for more and force the matter via law if necessary.