Keir Starmer promises crackdown on young people’s smartphone use within months
Keir Starmer has vowed to crack down on children and young people using smartphones within months to help them stay safe online.
Reforms could include minimum age limits for social media and restrictions on so-called “infinite” scrolling.
Children could also be prevented from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to illegally access pornography and talking to online chatbots under proposals submitted in government consultation.
Ministers are now taking steps to introduce powers that mean they can act quickly and respond to consequences within months.
Before that, they will now take action to close a legal loophole and crack down on all AI chatbot providers. To comply with the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.
It follows a war of words between ministers and Elon Musk after the Grok AI chatbot was widely used to create fake images of naked women.
The Prime Minister has promised that no online platform will get a “free pass” when it comes to children’s safety online.
Sir Keir said: “As a father of two young children, I know the challenges and concerns parents face to keep their children safe online. Technology is moving really fast and the law needs to keep pace. With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety.”
“Our action against 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 taking action to protect children’s well-being and help parents navigate the minefield of social media.”
The consultation on new social media protections will begin in March and will be guided by what parents and children want to see.
Ministers also plan to introduce powers to quickly change the law in response to changing online behavior through the Child Welfare and Schools Act.
Elsewhere, changes to the Crime and Policing Act will be used to ensure chatbots protect users from illegal content.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “I know parents up and down the country want us to take urgent action to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk for their disregard for British laws and British values.”
“We won’t wait to take the action families need, so we’ll be tightening the rules on AI chatbots and laying the groundwork so we can act quickly based on the results of consultations on young people and social media.
“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future in a time of rapid technological change.”
The Crime and Policing Bill will be updated to include measures to protect children’s social media and online data, following calls from campaign group Jools Law.
The campaign was launched by Ellen Roome after questions about the death of her 14-year-old son Jools could not be answered because digital activity records could not be accessed.
Lord Nash, a former Conservative minister who campaigned for tighter social media controls on children in the House of Lords, welcomed the government’s passage of the Jools Bill.
He added: “But we have a moral duty to ensure this is never needed in the future by avoiding future tragedies.
“There are too many children being terribly harmed every day by social media and this announcement will not stop that. This consultation is just a delay disguised as a process.”
“Rather than negotiate further, the government must now raise the age limit for the most harmful platforms to 16 and has the opportunity to do so when the amendment affecting this, which was overwhelmingly passed in the House of Lords, returns to the House of Commons. Every day we delay, we fail more children.”
The Conservatives accused ministers of inaction and said the announcement was “more smoke and mirrors”.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott added: “Claiming that they are taking ‘urgent action’ is simply not credible in circumstances where so-called urgent consultations are not available.”
In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban children’s social media.
