Government to strengthen Online Safety Act

The Prime Minister has announced that the government will act immediately to introduce measures to enhance online safety for children, marking a significant shift in the UK's approach to digital regulation. Speaking to parents and young people on Monday, 16 February, the Prime Minister highlighted the need for the government to act at pace against addictive designs and rapidly evolving technologies.

Key measures include a crackdown on illegal content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), such as the generation of non-consensual sexual images. The government plans to close a legal loophole by requiring all AI chatbot providers to comply with illegal content duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA). 

New legal powers to be established will allow the government to implement the findings of its consultation on children's wellbeing within months, bypassing the need for lengthy primary legislation as technology evolves. Potential interventions include setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting harmful features such as infinite scrolling.

The government will also consult on methods to prevent the transmission of nude images of children and investigate restrictions on children's use of VPNs and AI chatbots. 

In addition, the government proposes changing the age of digital consent and ensuring that vital online data is preserved following the death of a child to assist families in devastating circumstances. 

In a statement responding to the news, Maya Thomas, Legal & Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch, said: "The Prime Minister's announcement that the government intends to restrict access to VPNs for under-16s represents a draconian crackdown on the civil liberties of children and adults alike.

"The only way such restrictions could be enforced effectively would be for VPN providers to require all users to undergo age-assurance measures. Having to provide ID or a biometric face scan to access a VPN utterly defeats the point of a technology designed to enhance privacy online."

Additional reporting by The Guardian.

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