The UK government recently outlined plans to increase regulation of AI chatbots and social media in an effort to boost online child safety. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer went on to warn that “no platform gets a free pass”.
Starmer announced plans to close a loophole allowing some AI chatbot providers to avoid illegal content obligations, bringing them fully within scope of the country’s Online Safety Act. Providers failing to comply will “face the consequences of breaking the law”, he warned, adding “Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety”.
In addition, the government confirmed it will seek new legal powers through parliament to enable faster regulatory action on recommendations from its children’s digital wellbeing consultation. It also launched a parental guidance campaign to help families manage online risks while enforcement catches up.
“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up”, Starmer said, adding the government is “acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media”.
Bring it on
In a blog post on Substack, Starmer confirmed plans to seek powers allowing the government to introduce “a minimum age limit for social media” within months if evidence supports it. He also highlighted restrictions on “functionalities that are detrimental to kids’ wellbeing” such as “endless scroll or autoplay”.
In addition, he indicated the government is examining ways to limit VPN access among children, eyeing measures that could make it “harder for kids to get around age limits of services”.
Starmer framed the moves as part of a broader shift in regulatory strategy, stating: “If that means a fight with the big social media companies, then bring it on”.
The announcement comes after the UK government cracked down on Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot after it generated non-consensual sexualised images. Starmer emphasised the new strategy will enable faster intervention, stating previous action against Grok showed “government intervention is needed to hold social media companies to account and keep young women safe”.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Stock Image
