In the UK, children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of sixteen might face a ban on accessing social media networks as soon as this year, according to a report by The Times newspaper.
The publication suggests this could happen by the summer, following the conclusion of ongoing consultations regarding the matter. This prohibition would encompass both social media platforms and access to chatbot services. Furthermore, the government intends to mandate that online platforms impose limits on the duration minors spend engaging with applications featuring infinite scrolling mechanisms.
On the evening of February 15th, the cabinet announced the immediate commencement of urgent legislative work the very next day to amend the Online Safety Act. A statement released by the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated that “the government will swiftly close the legal loophole and compel all providers of AI chatbots to adhere to obligations aimed at combating illegal content” under the revised legislation.
The Prime Minister himself is also preparing to address the public shortly, urging action to safeguard children and their parents from the detrimental effects of online interaction.
The Times observes that to expedite this procedure, the head of government intends to utilize the “Henry VIII powers.” This legislative mechanism is named after the monarch who reigned from 1509 to 1547, known for gaining the ability to alter statutes through royal decrees.
This procedural approach allows action to be taken via secondary legislation rather than through laws passed by Parliament. Such authority grants the government the capacity to act rapidly, rather than waiting years for Parliament to enact new legislation.
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