Keir Starmer talks tough with social media and AI chatbot providers

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While Silicon Valley has operated under the “move fast and break things” mantra for decades without a thought for social consequences, the UK is now starting to talk tough with the tech giants – particularly over child safety. 

Today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a sweeping legislative crackdown, insisting that “no platform gets a free pass” as the government moves to close loopholes in the Online Safety Act.

The most glaring omission in current law is the lack of oversight for AI chatbots. Drafted before the explosion of generative AI, the 2023 Online Safety Act left a legal void that has sometimes allowed these LLMs (Large Language Models) to produce content without accountability.

The government now intends to require all AI providers to comply with the same illegal content duties as social media platforms.  Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who the government claims recently “stood up” to Grok and Elon Musk over non-consensual deepfakes, emphasized that the government will no longer wait for tech firms to self-regulate.

The crackdown also targets the “addictive elements” designed to keep children hooked. Ministers are exploring an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s as well as restrictions on harmful features such as infinite scrolling and auto-play.

Criticism has been levelled at the previous administration for allowing the original act to take eight years to materialize – a timeline the current government calls “too long” given the pace of technological change.

Perhaps the most significant shift, however, is the introduction of “Jools’ Law”. Named after 14-year-old Jools Sweeney who died after an online challenge went wrong, the law will force tech giants to preserve a child’s data within five days of their death if it is relevant to a coroner’s investigation. Previously, tech firms often deleted data before bereaved families could find answers.

While critics argue the government is still “kicking the can down the road” with further consultations, the rhetoric has shifted toward a tougher regulatory environment. Starmer has characterized the battle for online safety as a “fight with the big social media companies” and signalled his readiness for the conflict.

In a world where product safety should be the “cost of doing business,” the UK is finally moving to ensure that technology serves the public good, rather than corporate profit at the expense of children’s lives.

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