UK government announced new measures under the Online Safety Act to regulate AI chatbots, impose age restrictions, and curb harmful infinite‑scroll designs. The announcement follows an EU investigation launched at the end of last month into Grok and X for potentially causing citizens “collateral damage” through their services.
The government’s press release states that the new measures include a crackdown on “vile illegal content created by AI” and a requirement that all AI chatbot providers comply with illegal‑content duties in the Online Safety Act or face legal consequences. It also promises to examine age restrictions for AI use and to limit children’s access to VPNs. The statement adds that it will “strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.”
Under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill the government will gain new powers to act swiftly on targeted actions, while an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill will give effect to measures around the preservation of child social‑media data. “No social media platform should get a free pass when it comes to protecting our kids,” the statement declares.
The UK also pledged to follow the EU’s classification of TikTok’s infinite scroll as an “addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act,” calling it “harmful.” The Department of Science launched the “You Won’t Know until You Ask” campaign, offering practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts for parents, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.
The government will consult parents and children before presenting the proposals to the House of Commons. Chris Sherwood, CEO of NSPCC, said, “This is a welcome downpayment but the Prime Minister must now go further. Sir Keir Starmer should commit to a new Online Safety Act that strengthens regulation and that makes clear that product safety and children’s wellbeing is the cost of doing business in the UK.”
Australia has also banned teens from using social media and is targeting Roblox amid “ongoing concerns about online child grooming.” The UK announcement was made on February 15, 2026.
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PC Gamer