UK Government Moves to Update Online Safety Act as AI Outpaces Regulation

The article examines the growing challenge governments face in regulating rapidly evolving technology, particularly artificial intelligence and social media platforms. It highlights how the UK’s Online Safety Act, first introduced to Parliament in 2019 and passed in 2023, was conceived before the explosive rise of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. Since then, the technology landscape has shifted dramatically, with AI chatbots like Grok, CharacterAI agents, and Google’s Gemini entering mainstream use. Enforcement of the law only began widely in mid-2025, and some provisions are still pending, underscoring the lag between innovation and regulation.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to close a regulatory loophole that left one-to-one conversations with AI chatbots outside the same framework applied to social media platforms. He acknowledged the need for faster regulatory responses, stating that future measures—such as a potential social media ban—could be implemented within months rather than years if consultations support such action. Additionally, the government will ensure that the social media data of deceased minors is preserved by default, enabling families to access information more quickly in cases involving online harm.

The article also references the campaign of Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son died in 2022 after allegedly attempting a dangerous online challenge. She has advocated for stronger protections, including a full social media ban for under-18s, arguing that prevention must take priority over post-incident data access. The piece concludes that unless regulation can keep pace with technological change, protecting children from online harm will remain an increasingly difficult task.