Ofcom at risk of losing public trust over online harms, says Liz Kendall | Ofcom

Britain’s internet regulator Ofcom risks losing public trust if it does not use its powers to tackle online harm, Technology Minister Liz Kendall has said.

Last week Kendall told Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes that she was deeply disappointed with the speed at which regulators were implementing the Online Safety Act, which aims to protect the public from harm caused by a wide range of online platforms, from social media to pornography websites.

Ofcom stressed that the delays were beyond its control and that “change is happening”. But Kendall told the Guardian: “If they don’t enforce it, they know it. [and] “If they use the powers they have under the law, they will lose the trust of the public.”

Last week, the father of Molly Russell, who committed suicide at the age of 14 after viewing harmful online content, said he had lost confidence in the watchdog’s leadership.

Asked Thursday about his confidence in the regulator’s leadership, Kendall did not lend his support.

The technology secretary was speaking amid concerns that parts of the online security regime are not expected to come into force until mid-2027 – nearly four years after the Online Safety Act becomes law – and that the pace at which the technological frontier is advancing in the meantime risks leaving government guardrails behind.

Kendall said she’s now really worried about “AI chatbots” and their “impact on children and teens.”

The dangers have been highlighted by cases in the US involving teenagers who took their own lives after becoming intensely engaged with ChatGPT and Character.AI chatbots, whom they saw as confidants and advisors.

“If chatbots are not included or properly covered in the legislation, and we are actually working on that right now, then they will need to be included as well,” Kendall said. “People should feel that their children are safe”

The resignation of Ofcom chief executive Michael Grade in April will lead to a search for a new leader. Dawes, a career civil servant, has been chief executive for nearly six years. Ofcom declined to comment.

On Thursday the watchdog fined a “nudification” app £50,000 for failing to protect children from accessing pornography. Nudify apps often use artificial intelligence to “strip” uploaded photos.

Kendall said Ofcom had “rightly stepped forward”. This was the second fine issued by the regulator under the law since it became law more than two years ago.

Kendall was speaking in Cardiff at the launch of a new AI “growth zone” which the government hopes will attract £10bn of investment and create 5,000 jobs at sites ranging from the Ford Bridgend engine plant to Newport.

The government said Microsoft was one of the companies “joining forces with the government”, but Microsoft said it had not committed to any new investment.

Ministers also hope to use £100 million to support British startups in designing chips that power artificial intelligence, which the government believes gives the UK a competitive advantage. But it may be difficult to compete with U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, which reported this week that it earns about $22 billion a month.

On Wednesday, a Labor MP claimed Microsoft was “ripping off” UK taxpayers. The US tech company earned at least £1.9bn from government deals in the 2024-25 financial year.

Asked if he agreed, Kendall praised Microsoft’s AI technology, which is being used to create school lesson plans in his district, but said: “We need to do more to make sure we have the right people in the room who know about these companies and can negotiate the best deal possible. I’d also like to see more homegrown companies, especially in the AI ​​space.”

A spokesperson for Microsoft said the NHS purchases its services through a national pricing framework negotiated by the UK government, which “ensures both transparency and value for money” and that their partnership provides “measurable benefits”.

“The UK government chooses to spend its technology budget on a variety of vendors, and Microsoft has the privilege of being one of them,” they said.