Ofcom planning more safety measures to tackle addictive design

It has been noted previously in these pages that the UK is looking to be taken seriously in pursuing its so-called Year of Action, enabling its regulator Ofcom to wield a stern and heavy axe in enforcing new online safety legislation.

And, although the new child safety rules requiring platforms to check users’ ages don’t even come into effect until July 25, regulators are making it clear that they are far from finished. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander Heidi Alexander tells the BBC, “we are very clear as a government that this is the foundation for a safer online experience for children, but it is not the end of the conversation.”

At the same time, new factors continue to come to light – particularly AI, which is engaging with kids in a way that wasn’t possible just a few years ago, and is currently outpacing regulation.  The specter of U.S. influence also haunts the conversation, as leaders consider how to manage pressure from an erratic Trump administration to loosen the rules.

‘Healthy habits’ next focus of regulation, but AI needs addressing

Reporting from the BBC looks at what’s on the near horizon and beyond for UK internet users. A feature from presenter Laura Kuenssberg has anonymous government sources chipping back and forth over whether the measures will work as intended. It also notes that the new rules “don’t cover what kids share with each other on messaging apps, and they don’t block risky stunts or challenges or in-app purchases like loot boxes that end up costing some families a fortune.”

“And as technology races ahead, the rules don’t fully cover AI chatbots which are increasingly grabbing kids’ attention.”

Kuenssberg says “many sources I’ve spoken to question now if the way the whole system has been designed is the right one.” Some specifically question if Ofcom is the proper body to oversee regulation and enforcement.

Regardless, the effort continues at various levels of government – including the top. Technology  Secretary Peter Kyle says he wants to shift the conversation towards “healthy habits” – i.e., not what we see on the internet, but how we design and use it. New measures focused on addictive design could emerge in the early fall. Proposals tabled include a two-hour cap on the use of individual social media apps, extra rules on live streams, a 10 p.m. curfew and “making more of a distinction between what 13 and 16-year-olds can do online.”

For its part, Ofcom has tried to remain neutral in the question of further measures. Like a weary warrior burdened by the sword, it says merely that it remains focused on the task at hand. “If Parliament decides to widen rules toward mis- and disinformation, or wider issues around addiction for kids, then Ofcom stands ready to implement that,” says chief executive of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes. “But I think it’s very important that we focus on the job we’ve been given.”

US penalizes Brazil regulation with tariffs, raising fears for UK

A mightily non-neutral party in the regulatory discussion is the U.S. government. Children’s online safety advocates have petitioned the UK to hold firm on its child protection legislation, and not cave to U.S. pressure to weaken the laws as a concession in shapeshifting trade negotiations.

Brazil recently responded to fresh tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump over its regulatory measures with a letter from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, reminding the U.S. that “Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being lectured by anyone.”

Trump has accused the country of censoring U.S. social media platforms, following a ruling from the Brazilian Supreme Court that social platforms must immediately remove content involving serious crimes posted by users, such as antidemocratic acts and violence against minors, or face legal consequences.

According to MLex, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer has also received a letter, this one from U.S. lawmakers likewise accusing the UK of fostering a “censorship regime” and choking Americans’ rights to free expression. It came after the US House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to eight American technology companies, requesting communications with UK officials concerning the safety act.

Article Topics

age verification  |  Brazil  |  Ofcom  |  Online Safety Act  |  regulation  |  UK  |  United States