The UK’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.

Speaking to parents and young people on Monday 16 February 2026, the Prime Minister stated that his government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.

The newly announced measures include a crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI, a move triggered by the multiple horrific deepfake nudification of women and children on X (formerly known as Twitter) using Grok AI. The government called out this abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.

According to the announcement, the UK government will move fast 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 says that this will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.

The Prime Minister also reaffirmed that his government is taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online. He said that the Government is committed to following the evidence, and these powers will mean it can act fast on its findings within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.

The announcement highlights that these measures allow regulators to act quickly on such measures as setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful, in line with the consultation.

The UK law is crystal clear: the distribution of nude images of children is already illegal. But the government confirmed that it will also consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving such images in the first place.

The consultation will also confront the full range of risks children face online. This includes 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.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the government will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances by ensuring that vital 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.

This marks a new shift in how the UK approaches child online safety. The government claims that with these measures, the UK can continue to be a world leader in keeping children safe online.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that, as a dad of two teenagers, “I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online. 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 also said that “the action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass. 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.”

The UK’s children’s charity NSPCC‘s CEO, Chris Sherwood, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.”

Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Parents are right to demand urgent action on online safety, and we strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to move quickly and decisively to tackle appalling and preventable harm.”

The government confirmed that the children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now, not in several years’ time. Furthermore, the government is tabling an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to allow the government to require chatbots not currently in scope of the Online Safety Act to protect their users from illegal content.

The government also confirmed that ministers are already engaging with parents, young people and civil society groups, and the message has been consistent and clear that parents want support and fast.

To help parents immediately, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the You Won’t Know until You Ask campaign. It offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.