Prime minister Keir Starmer has announced plans for new legal powers which will allow the government to take “immediate action" following the findings of its upcoming children's digital wellbeing consultation.

The government has said that it will "follow the evidence” unearthed by its consultation, which will launch in March, with the new powers enabling it to act on the findings "within months" rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.

The move will enable the government to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful.

The new legal powers form part of an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The measures announced on Monday also include a crackdown on "vile" illegal content created by AI, with the government moving 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.

The government's consultation will also explore the full range of risks children face online, including examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent.

Starmer also revealed plans to strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances by ensuring that data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.

“As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online," said prime minister Keir Starmer. “Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.

He continued: “The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass. Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action. We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”

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