On 15 February 2026, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology jointly announced immediate action to strengthen online safety protections for children. In a statement titled “No platform gets a free pass,” the Government outlined a package of measures designed to close legal loopholes in current legislation and hold technology companies more accountable for harmful content accessible to young users.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer emphasised that the rapid pace of technological change requires the law to keep up with emerging risks. The Government has committed to act swiftly, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation each time a new form of harm arises. Central to this action is the plan to ensure all AI chatbot providers are brought within the scope of the Online Safety Act 2023, requiring them to comply with duties to prevent illegal content or face enforcement actions including fines or restrictions. This follows recent Government intervention that resulted in the removal of harmful non-consensual image generation functionalities on certain AI platforms after they were found to put users at risk.
The announcement also sets out the intent to expedite legal changes following a forthcoming public consultation on children’s digital wellbeing. Proposed actions emerging from this consultation include the possibility of setting minimum age limits for social media use, restricting features such as infinite scrolling, and examining age limits on accessing VPNs that circumvent safety protections. The Government will pursue these through amendments to existing legislation, including the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Crime and Policing Bill, enabling faster implementation of targeted protections.
In addition, the Government plans to introduce measures to ensure critical data is preserved following a child’s death where digital activity may be relevant, addressing concerns raised by advocacy campaigns such as “Jools’ Law”.
Officials stressed that these steps are intended to give parents and carers clearer support, improve accountability for tech companies, and enhance the UK’s position as a leader in online child safety.
The official press release from the UK Government:
PM: “No platform gets a free pass”: Government takes action to keep children safe online – GOV.UK