UK plans to ban social networks for teens under 16 this year

The UK may ban access to social media for children under the age of 16 as early as this year, The Times noted, Report informs.

According to the newspaper, the ban could be implemented as early as this summer, once consultations on the issue have been completed. The ban will apply not only to social media but also to chatbots. The government also intends to require online platforms to limit the amount of time children spend on apps with endless scrolling.

On Sunday evening, the Cabinet announced that it would begin urgent legislative work on amending the Online Safety Bill on February 16. According to a statement from the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the "government will also close a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by the Online Safety Act obligations to remove illegal content" under the aforementioned law.

In this regard, Starmer cited London's action against Grok, a chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company xAI. The communique noted that these efforts "sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass." "Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action. We are acting to protect children"s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media," Starmer will say later on Monday.

The Times noted to speed up the process, the prime minister intends to use "Henry VIII powers," named after the absolute monarch who ruled from 1509 to 1547 and who had the ability to change laws through royal statutes. These powers allow action to be taken through subordinate legislation without full consideration by lawmakers, rather than through basic laws passed by the Parliament.