The government has announced a sweeping crackdown on tech firms to protect children from illegal content.
It will include measures to eliminate “vile illegal content created by AI”, and could even open the door to an Australia-style age limit on social media, a Number 10 spokesperson said.
It also promises to shut down the loophole that has allowed chatbots to produce illegal content.
On Sunday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “no platform gets a free pass” from the new restrictions.
Under the plans, ministers will “shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act”, according to a government announcement.
Introduced in 2023, the Online Safety Act imposes strict duties on social media platforms – particularly in protecting children from harmful content.
The government has also promised a consultation with tech firms to discuss how to best safeguard children.
A spokesperson said that means “being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful”.
In December last year Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accessing social media platforms.
Sir Keir said: “As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their…
