Google is filtering explicit content in Google image search queries in the US and UK, even for users who have Safe Search turned off.

Google has made changes to the Safe Search parameters, users now need to be more specific when requesting explicit content. You can enable “Filter explicit results” from the SafeSearch button.

The only close to a official statement came for a Google representative in a Google Groups thread discussing the change to the filtering option, “the change doesn’t prevent anyone from getting to the content they want to see,” and that “if you search for explicit content, you’ll be able to find it” — but only with the right query.