LONDON — The British government is preparing to introduce tighter online safety measures for children, including a potential ban on social media use for under-16s, and to close regulatory gaps that leave some artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots outside current safety rules, officials said.
The proposals come amid growing concern over digital risks to minors and follow Australia’s introduction of a similar under-16 social media restriction.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration launched a consultation on the issue last month, and government officials indicated legislation could be amended to implement changes within months of the consultation’s conclusion.
Technology Minister Liz Kendall said Britain’s 2023 Online Safety Act, widely regarded as one of the world’s strictest frameworks for online protection, currently does not extend to one-on-one interactions between children and AI chatbots unless the systems share information with other users.
She described this as a loophole that would soon be addressed.
“I am concerned about these AI chatbots … as is the prime minister, about the impact that’s having on children and young people,” Kendall told Times Radio.
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She noted that some children were forming close, individual interactions with AI systems that had not been designed with child safety in mind.
Kendall said the government plans to publish detailed proposals before June, emphasizing that tech companies would bear responsibility for ensuring their platforms comply with British law. She added that the measures are intended to safeguard children while remaining enforceable under existing legal structures.
The potential social media ban follows similar moves in other European countries. Spain, Greece, and Slovenia have indicated they are exploring age-based restrictions after Australia became the first nation to prohibit under-16s from accessing major social platforms.
In Britain, the discussion has intensified following reports that Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok had generated non-consensual sexualized imagery.
In addition to age restrictions, the government is considering a range of online safety enhancements.
One proposal would create automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, allowing authorities to secure digital evidence for investigations—a measure long requested by bereaved families.
Officials also plan to consult on extending powers to limit “stranger pairing” in online gaming and to block the sending or receiving of nude images to minors.
These changes would be introduced as amendments to existing crime and child-protection legislation currently under parliamentary consideration.
While the focus is on protecting children, government officials acknowledged the potential impact on adult privacy and the provision of online services.
Similar measures in other countries have triggered debates with the United States over free speech and the cross-border reach of regulation.
Some major adult content platforms have responded to existing age-verification requirements by blocking British users entirely.
However, the government noted that such blocks can be bypassed using virtual private networks (VPNs), and officials are exploring ways to limit VPN use for minors as part of broader safeguards.
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Public response to the potential social media ban is mixed. Parent groups and child-safety advocates generally support tighter restrictions, citing concerns over exposure to harmful content and interactions.
At the same time, some child-protection organizations warn that a strict age cutoff could drive young users to less regulated platforms, creating a “cliff edge” at age 16 and potentially exposing them to unmonitored risks.
Kendall also emphasized that legal definitions remain a prerequisite for enforcement. “Before any ban could take effect, the government still needed to define what counts as social media under the law,” she said, highlighting the complexity of regulating a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The Online Safety Act, passed after nearly eight years of debate, sets broad obligations on tech companies to protect children and other vulnerable users from harmful content. The law requires platforms to remove illegal material, moderate user interactions, and provide transparency reports, but it has been criticized for lagging behind new AI technologies and interactive services.
The government’s consultation and upcoming legislative changes reflect an effort to respond more swiftly to emerging digital threats.
Officials indicated that consultation responses will help shape both the age-based social media restrictions and the rules applying to AI chatbots, ensuring that platforms are accountable for interactions that could pose risks to minors.
The next step will be the formal publication of the government’s proposals, expected before June, followed by parliamentary debate on amendments to existing legislation.
Officials have signaled that enforcement mechanisms and definitions will be central to ensuring that any new measures can be applied consistently and effectively across both social media platforms and AI-driven services.