Artificial intelligence chatbots could soon face the same legal restriction as social media platforms under plans outlined by the UK government to tighten online safety laws, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned technology firms they will be held accountable for illegal AI-generated content.
Under the proposals, providers of AI chatbots would be brought within the scope of the Online Safety Act 2023, meaning they must comply with the same obligations as social media companies to prevent illegal content or face enforcement action.
Ministers will launch a public consultation on whether to introduce a minimum age for social media access and restrict potentially addictive features such as infinite scrolling. Spain, Greece and Slovenia have explored similar restrictions after Australia became the first country to block under-16s from social media.
The government also intends to close what it describes as a legal loophole in the Online Safety Act that currently excludes one-to-one chatbot interactions from safety rules. The technology minister, Liz Kendall, said the gap must be addressed, warning that some children are forming relationships with AI systems that were not designed with child safety in mind.
Tighter restrictions
Under the plans, tech firms would be required to ensure their systems comply with British law. Ministers are also consulting on measures such as automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, limits on “stranger pairing” in gaming and restrictions on sending or receiving nude images.
Starmer said the law must keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and that Britain should lead on online safety. Officials said they would act swiftly to make the online world safer as part of broader reforms that could include age limits, VPN usage curbs and data preservation measures for children’s accounts.
“We will not allow tech companies to wriggle out of responsibility for vile illegal content created by AI. The law must keep pace with the technology, and Britain should lead the world in keeping children safe online,” Starmer said.
Critics have welcomed the focus on child protection but warned enforcement could be challenging and that restrictions might push harmful behaviour to less regulated corners of the internet.
Experts said regulating AI would remain challenging due to the speed of technological change.
Laurence Murphy, senior lecturer in media technology at the University of Salford, said current legal frameworks are struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI systems and stressed that accountability from companies is essential to ensure safeguards are effective.
“The updated approach to online safety laws, particularly around artificial intelligence, shows how complex and fast changing this area is. Legal safeguards need to ensure fair and safe use, but AI evolves rapidly, making oversight difficult," Murphy said.
He added that legal restrictions alone may not be enough to protect children from online harms as AI systems continue to develop.
"Accountability from companies is key, and while legal restrictions are important, they may not be the only solution to protect children and the public.”
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Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Global oil prices have surged past $110 a barrel this Monday as fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes hit multiple targets, including oil depots. Stock markets fell on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over global energy supply.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Baku has completed its evacuation of staff from the Azerbaijan Consulate General in Tabriz, while most employees from the Azerbaijan Embassy in Tehran have also returned.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continued to shoot down missiles in their airspace. Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would stop attacking its neighbours.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Global oil prices have surged past $110 a barrel this Monday as fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes hit multiple targets, including oil depots. Stock markets fell on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over global energy supply.
The U.S. embassy in Oslo was hit by a loud explosion early on Sunday (8 March), causing minor damage but no injuries, in what may have been a deliberate attack linked to the crisis in the Middle East, Norwegian police said.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
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