WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols is pleased to support Government action to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms with addictive design and fast-moving technologies.
The new measures announced include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.
That means being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful.
Charlotte Nichols MP says: Hundreds of you have contacted me in recent weeks about the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign and the Phone Free Education campaign, and I’m pleased to say there is good news to share.
Today the Government has announced new powers to ensure no platform gets a free pass, as loopholes that put children at risk will be closed, and the groundwork laid for further, faster action including a potential social media ban for under-16s following the Australian model (which is currently being consulted on).
These powers will mean we can act fast on the consultation outcome within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves – with legislation currently not keeping pace with the harm being done to young people.
That’s a big step in the right direction both for the changes we need to see now, and making sure this is future-proof too – and I’ll continue supporting turning the announcement into concrete action to protect young people online.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: I know that parents across the country want us to act urgently to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk when they flouted British laws and British values.
We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.
We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC CEO, said: We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.
Much of what is being proposed mirrors what we have been pressing for: proper age‑limit enforcement, an end to addictive design, and stronger action from platforms, devices, and AI tools to stop harmful content at the source. Delivered swiftly, these measures would offer far better protection than a blanket ban.
We also strongly support putting children’s voices at the centre of this debate. They understand both the benefits and risks of being online and – after their insights have been overlooked in discussions so far – their experiences must now help guide the decisions made in the months ahead.
We need urgent action and an ambitious agenda if the Government is going to take on tech bosses and make a difference for children and young people.
The children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now. This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent. The Government will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.
