UK Announces Further Plans to Regulate AI Chatbots, Social Media for Children

Should the government regulate technology to protect children or does any restriction threaten free speech?

Published 4 hours ago

UK Announces Further Plans to Regulate AI Chatbots, Social Media for Children

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Above: The Union flag displayed on a laptop screen and Elon Musk's account on X displayed on a phone screen in Krakow, Poland on Jan. 5, 2025. Image credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Social media and tech companies have exploited children for years with addictive algorithms, endless scrolling and access to harmful content. Government intervention is essential to protect kids from these manipulative practices that prioritize profit over well-being.

Guardian

Keir Starmer on Substack

Government-critical narrative

Restricting access to children online necessarily means implementing checks on adults, whereby digital freedom of speech is dependent on giving up private biometric data. By using child safety as a Trojan horse, the state is once again seeking to infringe on the civil liberties of the British population.

Unherd

Basil the Great on X