Britain plans Australia-like social media ban for children under 16 years of age: Report

Britain may soon introduce an Australian-style ban on social media for children under the age of 16 as early as this year, reports news agency Reuters. The move is part of the country’s efforts to respond more quickly to risks linked to social media and artificial intelligence. As per the report, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has started a public consultation on the proposed ban and is working on changes to existing laws so new rules can be enforced within months. The move comes as other European countries including Spain, Greece and Slovenia explore similar restrictions and concerns grow about children’s exposure to harmful online content.As per the Reuters report, Britain’s 2023 Online Safety Act, which is considered among the strictest digital safety laws in the world, does not fully cover one-to-one interactions with AI chatbots. Technology minister Liz Kendall said this gap would be addressed soon.“I am concerned about these AI chatbots… as is the prime minister, about the impact that's having on children and young people,” Kendall told Times Radio as quoted in the Reuters report. She said some children were forming direct relationships with AI systems that were “not designed with child safety in mind”.Kendall added that Britain could not allow such gaps to remain after the law took nearly eight years to pass. She said the government would outline its proposals before June and that technology companies would be responsible for making sure their systems follow British law.The government is also consulting on automatic data preservation orders when a child dies, to help investigators secure online evidence. Other proposed measures include curbs on “stranger pairing” on gaming consoles and blocking the sending or receiving of nude images.The proposals would be added as amendments to existing crime and child-protection laws currently before parliament. While aimed at protecting children, the measures could affect adult privacy and access to services. Kendall said the government still needs to clearly define what counts as social media before any ban can be enforced.