Starmer to fast-track social media law but under-16s ban not definite

Keir Starmer said the government will move quickly to change rules on young people’s social media access and that a ban for under-16s is being considered but has not been decided; amendments to two bills would give ministers powers to act and any secondary legislation will need parliamentary approval.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government will move quickly to change rules on young people’s access to social media. He spoke after ministers announced plans to extend safety measures to AI chatbots that could put children at risk. Starmer said a ban on under-16s was a possibility but not a settled decision and that evidence will be gathered during a three-month consultation. He also expressed concern about design features such as endless scrolling and algorithms. Key details: - Starmer said the government aims to act within months rather than years to address online harms affecting children. - Downing Street plans to table amendments to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill and to the crime and policing bill to create powers for ministers on social media and AI chatbots. - Officials said the secondary legislation implementing any policies would require approval by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. - Starmer referenced concerns raised by charities such as the NSPCC and by young people about access to news and online harms. - In a separate post, Starmer described modern social media features as having evolved in ways he believes are harming children and referenced prior governments’ inaction. Summary: The government has announced it will seek powers to move quickly on rules for young people’s online access and broaden protections to cover AI chatbots. Parliamentary amendments are planned to enable ministers to set detailed policy, and both houses will be asked to approve the secondary legislation. The three-month consultation will inform specifics, and the question of an under-16s ban remains undetermined at this time.