No online platform will get a “free pass” on children’s safety on the internet in new plans, the Prime Minister has said.
The government is pledging to close loopholes in existing laws designed to protect children online and will consult on a media ban for under sixteens as part of plans for online safety.
There are also plans to introduce powers to speedily change the law in response to developing online behaviours, and to update legislation to preserve children’s social media and online data – as campaigned for by the group Jools’ Law.
Opponents accused the government of “inaction”, and have called for Parliament to be given a vote on the social media ban for children.
The government had already said it would launch the public consultation in March, seeking opinions about restricting children’s access to AI chatbots and limiting infinite scrolling features for children – also known as doomscrolling.
It follows arguments between ministers and X’s Elon Musk earlier this year, after the platform’s Grok AI chatbot was used to make fake nude images of women.
Ahead of launching the consultation, Sir Keir said: “The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.”
“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety,” he said.
Other measures being considered include preventing children from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to illicitly access pornography and amending the law so chatbots have to protect users from illegal content.
