UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to ban under-16s from main social media platforms by next spring. The government is shifting its stance on tech industry access to children, prompted by concerns over wellbeing, time spent online, bullying, and AI chatbot misuse.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proposed a social media ban for under-16s, aiming to enhance online safety. While welcomed by many parents, scientists question the evidence for bans' effectiveness, and campaigners argue it lets social media firms evade platform changes.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media use for children under 16, targeting apps like TikTok and Snapchat to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time. The ban, expected early next year, aims to follow Australia's model with potential fines for non-compliant platforms, though it faces mixed reactions and potential US opposition.
The UK's Online Safety Bill has passed Parliament, aiming to protect children online by restricting their ability to interact with strangers in online games and going further than any other country in its regulations.
Film director turned online safety campaigner Beeban Kidron discusses the dangers of the digital age for children, her new book "Users," and her frustration with political inaction. She highlights the emotional toll of online abuse and criticizes big tech's influence and government failures to protect users.
A UK government consultation on children's online safety is considering an under-16 ban for "high-risk" social media platforms. While 90% of parents support such a ban, teenagers express mixed opinions, with some concerned about business marketing and others about privacy and addiction.
Canada's government has introduced legislation to ban social media for children under 16 unless platforms prove they are safe. A digital safety commission will be created to oversee the new rules.
UK regulator Ofcom has issued an open letter reminding social media platforms of their legal obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023 to mitigate illegal content, particularly hate speech and incitement to violence. This follows civil unrest in Belfast, where riots erupted in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Elon Musk's retweets of content critical of immigration and the UK's judiciary have drawn attention.
The White House opposes the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s, citing disproportionate burdens on US tech firms and advocating for parental tools instead.
The UK government is advancing stricter online safety legislation after Elon Musk's AI tool Grok generated millions of sexualized images, including of Cabinet ministers and children, prompting a public outcry and calls for action.
The UK government is consulting on new online safety measures for children, with proposals including an Australia-style ban for under-16s or restrictions on addictive features. Parents of victims, MPs, and industry representatives have shared diverse views, with many favoring targeted regulations over a blanket ban.
Ian Cheshire, incoming Ofcom chair, pledges to address perceptions of complacency towards tech giants on online safety, particularly for under-16s, while acknowledging regulatory limitations.
UK campaigners are urging Keir Starmer to implement strict safety standards for social media apps accessed by under-16s, rather than a blanket ban. They propose vetting platforms and features before children can use them, citing concerns over infinite scrolling and disappearing messages.
Six UK campaign groups, spanning differing views on banning social media for under-16s, jointly call on PM Keir Starmer to require platforms to prove safety before children can access them, ahead of the government's online safety consultation deadline.
Ofcom fined a US-based suicide forum £950,000 for its role in over 160 UK deaths. The fine highlights the ongoing struggle to make the internet safer and align online rules with offline penalties, despite challenges posed by US tech giants and legal loopholes.
British online safety regulator Ofcom says it has accepted new commitments from X that aim to better protect UK users from seeing illegal hate and terror content on the platform. Under the agreement announced today, X says it will withhold access in the UK to accounts reported posting illegal terrorist content and determined to be […]
Google denies breaching the UK Online Safety Act despite promoting a banned US-based suicide forum linked to 164 UK deaths, accessible via search results with basic circumvention methods.
A US-based online suicide forum linked to over 160 UK deaths is fined £950,000 by Ofcom, which is also seeking to block UK access due to deliberate breaches of laws against promoting suicide.
PM accused of dragging heels on forcing tech firms to block transmission of nude photos on children’s phonesInternet safety and children’s rights campaigners say they have been frustrated for months by Keir Starmer’s lack of leadership on blocking child abuse images on children’s phones, speaking out after Jess Phillips resigned from the government saying she was tired of seeing “opportunities for progress stalled and delayed”.The influential Labour politician was one of four ministers who quit on Tuesday and joined more than 80 MPs to have called for the prime minister to go. Continue reading...
Facebook and Instagram owner claims charges should not be calculated based on a company’s global revenueMeta has launched a legal challenge against the UK’s media regulator over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under landmark digital safety legislation.The Facebook and Instagram owner is claiming that Ofcom’s methodology for calculating the charges is flawed and should not be based on a company’s global revenue. Breaches of the Online Safety Act can be punished by fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue (QWR) or £18m – depending which is higher. Continue reading...
Experts advise parents to consider a child's maturity, not just age, before giving them a first phone. Starting with basic devices and gradually introducing smartphones with monitoring tools is recommended. Open communication about online safety and responsible usage is crucial. Parents should also model healthy screen time habits. This approach helps children navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
PornHub has fully restored access for UK Apple users after partially blocking the platform in January due to the Online Safety Act. The site's parent company, Aylo, praised Apple's new device-level age verification as a 'trailblazing' solution.
Brianna Ghey's mum says it's "equally important" he hears from bereaved families about online safety.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into Telegram to determine whether the messaging platform is failing to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), potentially breaching the UK's Online Safety Act. The regulator received evidence from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, while research identified 150 channels globally sharing AI-generated deepfake nudes and 24,671 users in Italy and Spain sharing non-consensual intimate images including CSAM.
