London, United Kingdom. Britain could introduce an Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16 as early as this year and amend legislation to close a safety loophole affecting some AI chatbots, as the government seeks to respond faster to digital risks.
Consultation on under-16 social media ban
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government launched a consultation last month on banning social media for children under 16 and is working to change legislation so any changes could be implemented within months of the consultation ending.
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 increased after Elon Musk’s 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 among the strictest safety regimes globally, but it does not cover one-to-one interactions with AI chatbots unless information is shared with other users, a loophole technology minister Liz Kendall said 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.
“I am concerned about these AI chatbots… as is the prime minister, about the impact that’s having on children and young people,” Kendall told Times Radio, adding that 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. Speaking to British media on Monday, she said tech firms would be responsible for ensuring their systems complied with British law.
Other proposed child safety measures
The government plans to consult on introducing automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, aimed at 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.
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