UK Extends Online Safety Act to AI Chatbots After Grok Scandal Exposes Child Safety Gaps
11 Sources
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UK's Starmer Wants AI Chatbots to Follow Online Safety Rules
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is cracking down on AI chatbots sharing harmful content, pledging to ensure they comply with laws designed to protect children online. The UK will make all AI chatbot providers take responsibility for moderating and preventing illegal content in line with the Online
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AI chatbot firms face stricter regulation in online safety laws protecting children in the UK
Keir Starmer, UK prime minster, during a news conference in London, UK, on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. Earlier, Ofcom, the UK's media watchdog, began an investigation into X reportedly spreading sexually explicit images of children and other individuals. "The action we took on Grok sent a clear
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Starmer announces crackdown on AI chatbots to ensure child safety - video
The UK prime minister has announced a crackdown on artificial intelligence chatbots that pose a risk to children, denouncing Grok for allowing its users to create images that digitally undress people. Speaking during a visit to a community centre in south-west London, Keir Starmer also said the
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UK Prime Minister Seeks New Powers to Regulate AI Chatbots as Child Safety Concerns Mount - Decrypt
U.S. attorney Preston Byrne said the GRANITE Act, a proposed American shield law against foreign censorship orders, would be used to counter any UK attempt to target U.S. VPN providers. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he will go to Parliament to seek new powers to regulate AI
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'No platform gets a free pass': UK government's Online Safety Act rules extending to chatbots after Grok fallout
This is alongside plans to enforce age restrictions and tackle 'harmful' infinite scroll designs. At the end of last month, the EU announced an investigation into Grok and X over whether it made citizens 'collateral damage' for its services. Now, weeks later, the UK government has announced a
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AI chatbots to face UK safety rules after outcry over Grok
London (AFP) - The UK government said Monday that it would include AI chatbots in online safety laws, closing a loophole exposed after Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok was used to create sexualised deepfakes. Providers of chatbots will be responsible for preventing them from generating illegal or
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Makers of AI chatbots that put children at risk face big fines or UK ban
Starmer to announce 'crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI' after scandal involving Elon Musk's Grok tool Makers of AI chatbots that put children at risk will face massive fines or even see their services blocked in the UK under law changes to be announced by Keir Starmer on
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Government announces sweeping 'crackdown' on social media firms
Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted nobody will get a 'free pass' from the new restrictions. The government has announced a sweeping "crackdown" on tech firms to protect children from illegal content. It will include measures to eliminate "vile illegal content created by AI," and could even open
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'As we did with Grok...': UK PM Starmer vows tough action on AI Bots in online safety laws
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday (February 16) all AI chatbots must be held to account, citing the case of Elon Musk's Grok, which was found to have generated non-consensual sexualised images. The PM said on Sunday (February 15) he is seeking broader powers to regulate internet
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UK govt cracks down on AI-generated illegal content; Starmer says 'no platform gets a free pass' - The Economic Times
The UK Government announced a crackdown on vile illegal content created by Artificial Intelligence, saying it will move swiftly to close a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to comply with illegal content duties under the "Online Safety Act" or face consequences for breaking the
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UK eyes rapid ban on under social media for under 16s, curbs to AI chatbots
Britain could bring in an Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16 as early as this year and close a loophole that left some AI chatbots outside safety rules, as part of government efforts to respond more quickly to digital risks. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government last
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on AI chatbots, forcing providers to comply with the Online Safety Act to protect children from harmful content. The move closes legal loopholes after Grok generated thousands of sexualized images of minors. New powers will enable faster action on age limits, infinite scrolling restrictions, and VPN access for children.
UK Government Closes Legal Loopholes for AI Chatbots
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced stricter online safety regulations that will force AI chatbot providers to comply with the Online Safety Act, closing loopholes that previously exempted private chatbots from child safety requirements
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. The crackdown on AI chatbots comes after mounting concerns about harmful content, particularly following revelations that Grok generated approximately 23,338 sexualized images of children in just 11 days—roughly one every 41 seconds, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate4
. "No platform gets a free pass," Starmer declared in his Monday speech, emphasizing that the government will "move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law"1
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Source: ET
Protecting Children Online Through New Legislative Powers
The legislation marks a shift in how the UK government approaches regulating AI chatbots and protecting children online. Previously, the Online Safety Act applied only to platforms where users share content with one another, such as social media, leaving private AI chatbots outside its scope
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. Starmer outlined new powers to regulate AI that would allow immediate action to protect children online, enabling safeguards to keep pace with rapidly-evolving technologies without waiting for new primary legislation1
. Alex Brown, head of TMT at law firm Simmons & Simmons, noted that the announcement shows the government taking a different approach, addressing "the dangers that arise from the design and behaviour of technologies themselves, not just from user‑generated content or platform features"2
. Generative AI is exposing the limits of existing regulation, which focused on "regulating services rather than technology," Brown explained2
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Source: PC Gamer
Age Limits for Social Media and Restrictions on Harmful Features
The new measures extend beyond regulating AI chatbots to include setting age limits for social media platforms, restricting harmful content features like infinite scrolling, and limiting children's access to VPNs
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. Starmer said changes to children's use of social media could happen as soon as this summer, following a public consultation launched in January on banning social media for under-16s3
. One significant measure announced would force social media companies to retain data after a child's death, unless the online activity is clearly unrelated to the death2
. The UK government will also introduce amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to give effect to measures around preservation of child social media data5
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Source: ET
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International Context and Enforcement Actions
The UK's actions follow a growing international trend of child safety legislation. Australia became the first country to implement a law banning teens under 16 from social media in December, forcing apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to implement age-verification methods such as uploading IDs or bank details
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. Spain became the first European country to enforce a ban earlier this month, with France, Greece, Italy, Denmark, and Finland also considering similar proposals2
. Ofcom, the UK's media watchdog, began an investigation into X over reports of spreading sexually explicit images of children and other individuals2
. Ofcom warned it could seek court-backed measures to block the platform if found non-compliant4
. The EU also announced an investigation into Grok and X at the end of last month over whether it made citizens "collateral damage" for its services5
.Industry Response and Future Implications
Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO of Billions.Network, told Decrypt that the harm was entirely predictable: "Loosening guardrails to juice metrics in the short term is a reckless gamble when the fallout includes child exploitation material flooding platforms"
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. However, the measures have drawn criticism, with Preston Byrne, managing partner of Byrne & Storm, P.C., warning that the UK's move would trigger immediate legal retaliation through the GRANITE Act, a proposed U.S. shield law that would protect American digital service providers from foreign government censorship orders4
. Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, now a senior adviser to Microsoft, urged Starmer to treat AI as an economic opportunity rather than solely a safety problem, warning that failure to drive adoption could leave Britain as "a theme park for historically curious tourists"4
. Chris Sherwood, CEO of children's charity NSPCC, called the announcement "a welcome downpayment" but urged the Prime Minister to "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"5
. The government will consult with parents and children before bringing the acts to the House of Commons, where MPs can have a say on proposals5
.References
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