UK to tighten online safety laws to include AI chatbots

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Sir Keir Starmer has warned Elon Musk and other technology executives that “no platform gets a free pass” on illegal content in the UK, as the prime minister moves to tighten online safety laws following a deepfake scandal involving xAI’s Grok chatbot.

The government said it would seek powers to “move fast” to close a legal loophole so that AI chatbots — such as Grok, Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT — would be brought clearly within the scope of the Online Safety Act, alongside social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Citing Musk’s AI company xAI and its Grok chatbot — which this year was used to generate sexualised images of women and children, triggering an investigation by the UK communications regulator Ofcom — Starmer will say on Monday: “The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.”

An amendment to the crime and policing bill will allow the government to require companies operating chatbots to protect their users from illegal content.

The UK already possesses powerful financial enforcement tools in global online regulation after it became one of the first democratic countries to impose strict content controls on tech companies in 2023.

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom can fine companies up to £18mn or 10 per cent of their global annual turnover, whichever is higher.

Speaking to parents and young people on Monday, Starmer will say that “technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up”.

Ministers are also seeking new powers via the children’s wellbeing and schools bill that would allow the government to act “within months” on the findings of a public consultation about the case for banning social media for young people.

A government official said ministers aimed to be able to “apply new protections for children to all chatbots”, subject to the outcome of the consultation.

The planned tougher stance by the UK against Big Tech comes as banning under-16s from social media has emerged as a hot political issue following a landmark prohibition in Australia.

France is close to passing a law, while Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark have said they will act to keep young people off social media platforms.

The UK government opened its consultation in January, asking whether young people under the age of 16 should be barred from social media after Starmer was urged to intervene by figures including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, health secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

But the debate intensified when the House of Lords last month backed an amendment that would require social media platforms to block under-16s within one year, revealing cross-party appetite for tougher action against Big Tech.

While ministers insist no decision has been taken, the consultation — due to conclude in April — has kept the prospect of a ban firmly in play.

Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said: “Labour have repeatedly said they do not have a view on whether under-16s should be prevented from accessing social media. That is not good enough.

“I am clear that we should stop under-16s accessing these platforms. The evidence of harm is clear and parents, teachers and children themselves have made their voices heard. Britain is lagging behind while other countries have recognised the risks and begun to act.”

The government also said it would examine options to limit children’s use of virtual private networks, which hide the location and identity of internet users.

While no ban has yet been proposed, intervention could mean requiring VPN services to introduce age checks or extending compliance duties to providers whose tools are used to evade safeguards.