Google Search will start blurring explicit imagery by default soon

Google is preparing to make a change to the SafeSearch feature on Google Search. Soon the feature will automatically blur any explicit imagery that appears in your search results by default if you don’t have the SafeSearch filter on.

To celebrate Safer Internet Day, the Mountain View-based firm put up a post on its blog to discuss how it’s keeping its users safe while online. Within that post, Google mentions a change coming to its SafeSearch feature.

If you’re unfamiliar with SafeSearch, it’s a tool within Google Search that helps to filter out explicit content from your search results. This content includes things like gore, violence, and pornography.

Google states that in the “coming weeks” it will expand the SafeSearch feature to blur out any explicit content that may appear in your results. This new functionality will be the default setting when SafeSearch filtering isn’t turned on.

In the coming months, we’re expanding a safeguard to help protect you and your family from inadvertently encountering explicit imagery on Search. SafeSearch filtering is already on by default for signed-in users under 18, but soon, a new setting will blur explicit imagery if it appears in Search results when SafeSearch filtering isn’t turned on. This setting will be the new default for people who don’t already have the SafeSearch filter turned on, with the option to adjust settings at any time.

According to the tech giant, the purpose of this change is to prevent users from inadvertently encountering explicit material.

For those who don’t want explicit images to be blurred in their results, don’t worry. Google says that users will be able to adjust the settings at any time.