iOS 15.2 beta blurs nude images for kids using the Messages app

When Apple released the beta of iOS 15.2 earlier this week, it also switched on a new Child Safety feature, aimed at reducing kids’ exposure to nudity. It’s called Communication Safety in Messages, and it should help our kids stay safer in the digital world we live in.

It’s important to note that this safety feature is not the controversial anti-CSAM feature that Apple has delayed implementation of. What Communication Safety in Messages does do is add a new, opt-in tool into the administration panels of the Family Sharing toolset.

Once enabled by a parent, if a child’s device tries to send or receive an image that includes nudity, it gets blurred out and an on-device notification shows up with additional information about not viewing the image if you don’t want to, and also an option to message a grown-up for help.

This all happens on the child’s device, without the image being sent to Apple’s servers (or anywhere else), and without notifying the child’s parents automatically. That’s because parental notifications could be an issue if the child is in a situation of parental abuse, so Apple changed its earlier plans of sending notifications automatically.

Apple is also working on ways to make Siri and Search work better with iOS 15 to help children and their parents avoid unsafe online situations. This includes help with making reports of child exploitation, or additional resources to get help with other matters.

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