BAKU   –   Keir Starmer is vowing to enforce a crackdown on children and teenagers using smartphones within months to help keep them safe online, according to The Independent. Reforms could include a minimum age limit for social media and restrictions on so-called “infinite” scrolling. Children could also be prevented from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to illicitly access dirty movies and from speaking with online chatbots under proposals in a government consultation. Ministers are taking steps now to bring in powers that mean they can act swiftly and respond to its results within months. Before that, they will act now to close a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. It follows a war of words between ministers and Elon Musk after his Grok AI chatbot was used widely to make fake nude images of women.

The PM pledged that no online platform would get a “free pass” when it comes to children’s safety on the internet. Sir Keir said: “As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online. Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up.

 With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety.

 “The action we took on 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 acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.” The consultation into new social media protections will launch in March and be guided by what parents and children say they want to see. Ministers also plan to introduce powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to speedily change the law in reactions to changing online behaviours.

Elsewhere, amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill will be used to ensure chatbots protect users from illegal content.