Britain will require all AI chatbot providers to comply with the Online Safety Act, extending legal duties to private chatbots and holding services accountable for moderating harmful content to protect children online.

This move is part of the next legislative steps, with amendments advancing through the House of Lords and toward final approval in the House of Commons.

Experts note the approach shifts from regulating specific technologies to shaping the design and behavior of technologies themselves.

The push follows scrutiny of sexually explicit content involving minors on platforms like X, and the subsequent regulatory response from Ofcom.

Britain is aligning with international trends, considering or implementing bans on teenage use of social media, with Australia, Spain and other countries weighing similar measures.

As part of safeguards, platforms may be required to retain data after a child’s death unless it is clearly unrelated to the death.

Online safety is being treated as a political priority, balancing innovation with protections for young users in the digital space.

While specifics aren’t disclosed, the framing indicates strengthened accountability and higher standards for platforms handling user-generated content and AI-enabled services.

The government is considering rapid, forward-looking protections for children online, including a potential minimum age for social media and limits on features like infinite scrolling and AI chatbot use.

Amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill aim to require compliance with the Online Safety Act, with penalties for non-compliance.

Efforts also target illegal, non-consensual sexual imagery generated by AI, using Grok as a case study and enabling swift legal responses to evolving AI technologies.

Overall, the policy direction could reshape how platforms moderate content, deploy safety features, and meet new legal requirements.