UK Tightens Online Safety Rules to Shield Children from AI, Social Media
The United Kingdom has announced sweeping new measures to strengthen children’s safety online, targeting risks posed by artificial intelligence tools, social media platforms, and harmful digital content. The initiative marks one of the most assertive regulatory pushes against technology companies, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that firms putting children at risk will face strict penalties and legal consequences.
At the heart of the reforms is an effort to tighten enforcement of the Online Safety Act by closing regulatory gaps and extending accountability to AI-driven services. Authorities are drafting new provisions to ensure AI chatbot providers prevent illegal and harmful material. The move follows public outrage over objectionable deepfake imagery generated via the Grok chatbot on Elon Musk’s X platform , highlighting how generative AI can be misused. Under the proposed framework, companies that fail to comply could face heavy fines potentially up to 10% of global turnover or even service restrictions.
The government will also launch a consultation to determine minimum age limits for social media use and evaluate whether restrictions similar to Australia’s under-16 ban should be adopted. Officials are examining platform design features such as infinite scrolling , autoplay, and algorithmic feeds that encourage prolonged usage, with experts linking such features to compulsive behaviour, sleep disruption, and declining mental well-being among teenagers. Starmer, himself a father of two teenagers, acknowledged growing parental anxiety and stressed that laws must evolve alongside rapidly changing technology.
In addition, authorities are considering restrictions on children using VPNs to bypass safety controls or access prohibited content. Proposed safeguards aim to prevent minors from interacting with unknown adults or unsafe chatbot environments. While the distribution of abusive images involving children is already illegal, the government plans stronger preventive obligations requiring tech companies to detect, block, and report harmful material before it reaches young users. New provisions may also compel firms to preserve digital evidence in cases where online harm contributes to a child’s death, ensuring accountability and aiding investigations.
Beyond regulation, the government is expanding parental awareness initiatives. Through the “You Won’t Know Until You Ask” campaign and the upcoming Children’s Digital Well-being Consultation , parents will receive guidance on privacy settings, online risk conversations, and protecting children from hateful or exploitative content.
Britain’s actions reflect a growing global movement toward stricter digital protections for minors. Australia has already banned social media use for children under 16, while several European nations are exploring similar measures and investigating AI-generated abuse material. Rather than imposing an immediate blanket ban, the UK aims to improve safety through stronger platform accountability, device controls, and “safety-by-design” standards.
The proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill , expected to be introduced in Parliament soon, signals a shift toward preventive regulation ensuring that digital platforms are built with child protection at their core. If implemented effectively, the reforms could position the UK as a global leader in regulating AI-driven online harms while redefining how technology companies design services for younger users.