Overview
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer said no platform gets a free pass as the government seeks broader powers to act within months rather than wait for new primary legislation.
- An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill will bring AI chatbots clearly under the Online Safety Act’s illegal‑content duties following concerns over Grok generating sexualised images.
- The consultation will consider an Australian‑style under‑16 social media ban, limits on features such as infinite scrolling, and potential restrictions on children’s interactions with chatbots.
- Officials are weighing curbs on minors’ use of VPNs to prevent bypassing age checks, alongside measures to preserve children’s online data in serious cases under the Jools’ Law campaign.
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said detailed proposals will be set out before June, as critics press for immediate statutory age limits and warn about privacy and enforcement trade‑offs.