London, United Kingdom. Britain could introduce an Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16 as early as this year and plans to close a loophole that left some AI chatbots outside existing safety rules. The moves form part of the government’s effort to respond more quickly to digital risks.
Consultation and potential timeline
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government launched a consultation last month on a social media ban for children under 16 and is working to change legislation so any changes could be introduced within months of the consultation concluding.
Spain, Greece and Slovenia have also said they are working on bans after Australia became the first country to block access to under-16s. Scrutiny has intensified further after Elon Musk’s flagship AI chatbot Grok was found to be generating nonconsensual sexualised images.
Online Safety Act loophole and planned changes
Britain’s 2023 Online Safety Act is one of the world’s strictest safety regimes, but it does not cover one-to-one interactions with AI chatbots unless they share information with other users, technology minister Liz Kendall said, adding that the loophole would soon be closed.
Kendall said Britain could not allow regulatory gaps to persist after the act took nearly eight years to pass and come into force. She told Times Radio she was concerned about the impact of AI chatbots on children and young people, and said some children were forming one-to-one relationships with AI systems that were not designed with child safety in mind.
Kendall said the government would set out its proposals before June, and that tech firms would be responsible for ensuring their systems complied with British law.
Evidence preservation and other measures under consultation
The government will also consult on changes to bring in automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, allowing investigators to secure key online evidence, a measure sought by bereaved families.
The consultation will also consider powers to curb “stranger pairing” on gaming consoles and to block the sending or receiving of nude images.
What changes would you like to see in how online platforms protect children under 16?
