The UK government will consult on banning social media for under-16s and introduce faster legal changes to strengthen online protections for children
In a fresh push to strengthen child protection online, the UK government has set out plans to close loopholes in existing internet safety laws and launch a consultation on banning social media use for under-16s.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “No online platform would receive a “free pass” when it comes to safeguarding children.” The consultation, due to begin in March, will seek views on restricting children’s access to AI chatbots and limiting features such as infinite scrolling, also referred to as doomscrolling.
Powers to update laws swiftly
The proposals include granting powers to amend legislation more quickly in response to emerging online behaviours. The government also plans to update rules to ensure children’s social media and online data are preserved, following campaigning by the group Jools’ Law.
Starmer 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.
The renewed focus on regulation follows disputes earlier this year between ministers and X owner Elon Musk after the platform’s Grok AI chatbot was used to generate fake nude images of women.
Further measures under consideration
Among other steps being examined are measures to prevent children from using virtual private networks to access pornography unlawfully and changes to legislation requiring chatbots to shield users from illegal content.
Opposition figures have accused the government of “inaction” and called for Parliament to be given a vote on any proposed social media ban for children.
The government also plans to amend rules governing how children’s social media data is stored under the Crime and Policing Bill, following the Jools’ Law campaign.
In 2022, Ellen Roome’s 14-year-old son, Jools, died. She believes he was attempting an online challenge that went wrong but has been unable to access his data to confirm this.
Current rules require a child’s data to be requested from technology companies within 12 months of their death by either a coroner or the police. Bereaved parents say that by the time such a request is made, the data has often already been deleted.
Under the proposed changes, data would need to be preserved within five days if it may be relevant to the cause of death, in the hope that more families will be able to obtain answers.
End of Article
