Children aged under 16 could be banned from social media later this year and face wider restrictions to their online activity under new proposals announced by the prime minister.
Young people could see their access to AI chatbots limited amid reports that they are offering youngsters ‘dangerous’ diets totalling just 600 calories a day.
Sir Keir Starmer has also unveiled proposals to look at ways to prevent children using virtual private networks (VPNs) – which can bypass age verification systems – to access pornography.
The Prime Minister has vowed will vow that no social media or internet platform will get a ‘free pass’ when it comes to children’s safety, in the wake of the Grok scandal.
It saw Elon Musk‘s X AI responding to requests to make sexualised images of women and girls until political pressure forced a change.
This morning he said the Government wants to act in ‘months, not years’, laying the groundwork for action to be taken quickly if an upcoming consultation on children’s digital wellbeing recommends an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s.
It is due to launch next month and report back in three months, allowing ministers to change the law this year.
‘We also need to act very quickly, not just of the age concern, but on the devices and applications that make the sort of auto-scrolling, the constant glueing to the machine that you can never stop scrolling,’ the PM added.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she and the PM are ‘really concerned’ about the impact of AI chatbots on children.
The Prime Minister has vowed will vow that no social media or internet platform will get a ‘free pass’ when it comes to children’s safety, in the wake of the Grok scandal.
Young people could see their access to AI chatbots limited amid reports that they are offering ‘dangerous’ diets totalling just 600 calories a day without age verification
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she and Sir Keir Starmer are ‘really concerned’ about the impact of AI chatbots on children.
OpenAI warned 1,000 was ‘very low’ for most adults and urged people to aim for 1,300 – 1,600 ‘unless you’re very petite and sedentary’, but still provided a meal plan.
Grok provided a plan for 600, while warning it could be dangerous without medical supervision, the paper reported.
‘Some are already covered by the (Online Safety) Act if they have user-to-user sharing or live search,’ Ms Kendall said.
‘But when it’s just that one-on-one with AI chatbots, I’m really concerned, as is the Prime Minister, about the impact that is having on children and young people.
‘And I would say, we’re taking steps so that any illegal content shared by AI chatbots, for anyone – adults too – will be stopped.’
An OpenAI spokesman said it was reviewing the content, adding: ‘Teen well-being is a top priority for us and we want to ensure ChatGPT responds safely and appropriately in sensitive moments, guided by mental health experts.’
The consultation into new social media protections will launch in March and be guided by what parents and children say they want to see.
Ministers also plan to introduce powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to speedily change the law in reactions to changing online behaviours.
Elsewhere, amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill will be used to ensure chatbots protect users from illegal content.
Ministers will consider measures to preserve phone data in tragic cases where online activity is suspected of being involved in a child’s death.
The PM said last night: ‘As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online.
‘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.
‘The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.
‘Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.
‘We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.’
Former Schools Minister Lord Nash welcomed the Government’s consideration of the proposal to allow bereaved parents to access the social media accounts of children if they die, known as Jools’ Law by campaigners.
Should parents or the government decide when kids are ready for social media?
The campaign was started by Ellen Roome, when questions about the death of her 14-year-old son Jools could not be answered as records of his digital activity could not be accessed.
But Lord Nash added: ‘There are too many children who are still being catastrophically harmed by social media every day, and this announcement will not prevent that. This consultation is just delay dressed up as process.’
He called on Labour to back his amendment for a social media age limit of 16, passed by the Lords last month, when it returns to the Commons.
And Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: ‘This is more smoke and mirrors from a Government that has chosen inaction when it comes to stopping under-16s accessing social media.
‘Claiming they are taking ‘immediate action’ is simply not credible when their so-called urgent consultation does not even exist.’