Prevent Creating or Viewing Nudity with the LivingRoom for Families iOS app
LivingRoom, the screen-shot based monitoring app for iPhone and iPad now proactively prevents viewing nudity through privacy-focused sensitive content analysis.
The LivingRoom for Families iOS app uses screenshot-based monitoring to allow a parent or accountability partner to monitor all activity on an iPhone or iPad. With a recent update, this app is now proactive about blocking nudity, no matter where it is viewed.
LivingRoom uses privacy-preserving sensitive image analysis to block creation and viewing of nudity. In addition to automatic blocking of adult websites, the LivingRoom app will block nudity, no matter where it is encountered.
I discuss this more in the Youtube video below:
We're thrilled that this can reliably prevent the following on iOS:
- Reliably prevent viewing pornography, no matter what app is used to access the inappropriate content
- Prevent sextortion on iPhone and the distribution of CSAM.
Thorough Blocking of Nudity on iPhone
The LivingRoom app blocks adult websites automatically. However, as you can probably imagine, website blocking isn't perfect, and it may be possible for explicit content to be discovered still:
- Explicit content can still be discovered on social media, mixed content websites like Reddit, and video streaming websites.
- Inappropriate content can be shared directly through messaging apps.
LivingRoom will detect nudity on the screen and lock down the device when it appears on the screen, and this works for any app or website viewed on the iPhone. We're thrilled that this feature can actually provide more freedom for people using an iPhone or iPad since restrictive website blocking isn't as necessary.
Additionally, LivingRoom has also extended the scope of what kind of content is detected with suggestive content detection, and keeps parents informed about their child's activity with sensitive content alerts .
Protecting Children from Online Predators and CSAM
One of the most heartbreaking issues that has been introduced with the normalization of iPhone and iPad use with our children is the rising cases of sextortion. Essentially, an online predator coerces a child into sharing sensitive photos of themselves and obtains leverage over the child.
LivingRoom can reliably protect against sextortion on iPhone with the new nudity protection feature, coupled with monitoring that allows a parent to see concerning behavior. A child will be prevented from taking sensitive photos of themselves and distributing those photos. This is a strong preventative measure against sextortion and the distribution of CSAM.
Monitoring screenshots for concerning behavior
The LivingRoom app records the screen while the device is used, periodically sending screenshots to the parents' dashboard for review. This screenshot-based monitoring approach captures activity no matter what app is used.
It can be used to monitor apps like Snapchat on iOS , which are normally difficult or not possible to monitor using traditional parental control apps.
Parents or accountability partners can review screenshots to see exactly what was looked at on the iPhone or iPad.
This ensures that a parent can catch concerning behavior between their child and strangers online. A parent can have some peace of mind that LivingRoom will prevent their child from sharing sensitive photos.
Demo
The LivingRoom app scans the screen for nudity every five seconds. If detected, it shields the screen and turns off the internet, all while preserving battery life. There's nothing you need to do to enable this added protection - it's always enabled.
The video below uses a test QR code (not actual nudity), which triggers the image detection feature. See also our dedicated guide: How to Block Apps on iPhone without Disabling the App Store .
