UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is widely expected to announce a ban on social media for under-16s within the next 10 days, after a similar measure was introduced in Australia.
Mr Starmer is said to be preparing to unveil plans to restrict online activity for children to protect them from harmful content after a nationwide consultation that ended last month. London Tech Week is to begin on Monday, bringing together ministers and industry experts to discuss how technological changes will shape society.
The Prime Minister told social media companies to “take responsibility” for harmful content on their platform when he met them at Downing Street in April. He is also expected to pledge that no community is left behind in the “tech revolution” as he unveils new AI tools aimed at helping jobseekers get into work.
He will promise to make tech work “for everyone, not just the privileged few” in a speech setting out the government’s plans to prepare people for a changing employment market.
A new “AI assistant”, announced on Monday and designed to provide 24/7 guidance on topics such as career development and job applications through a “CV builder” feature, will be tested online for about three months.
An AI “bootcamp scheme” will be introduced across England this summer to provide those at risk of becoming unemployed, or out of education and training, with resources they to find work.
Meanwhile, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the state would “aggressively” take bigger stakes in fast-growing UK companies, signalling a new wave of corporatism as the government seeks to hold on to flourishing companies moving overseas.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has already thrown his weight behind the proposal to stop under-16s using social media, saying tech companies must prove their services are safe for children or face a ban.
Former UK cabinet minister Wes Streeting has previously accused the government of being “asleep at the wheel” on matters relating to social media and technology regulation. Mr Streeting, who resigned this month in protest against Mr Starmer's leadership, said: “Our approach to mobile phones and social media has been akin to basically saying, ‘Kids need to learn how to use woodwork, let’s give three-year-olds, five-year-olds some saws, some nails and hammers, and leave them unsupervised and see what happens, because they need to learn how to use the tools.”
Ministers have been considering evidence from Australia, which imposed a blanket social media ban for under-16s in December. Reports suggest the UK clampdown will exclude apps including YouTube Kids.
England's Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza said any ban should cover 16 and 17-year-olds, who she said should not have “lesser protection”.
Mr Starmer is expected to announce the plans in a speech before the Makerfield by-election on June 18, when Labour leadership rival Andy Burnham will learn whether his path has been cleared to return to Westminster and challenge the Prime Minister. No 10 Downing Street declined to comment.
Before his speech on Monday, Mr Starmer said: “No one doubts the huge potential of tech to change lives. But we have to decide who that change is for. This government’s choice is clear: the tech revolution must work for everyone, not just a privileged few.
“We’re backing British businesses to lead the way, driving growth and investment that turns into more jobs and stronger communities. And we’re using tech to bring opportunity to every corner of the country – helping people into work, tackling inequalities, boosting skills and building a fairer future.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced several measures aimed at allowing young people to gain skills to help them secure employment, with about 400,000 across the most disadvantaged schools to be offered AI and tech training.
The government is looking to reverse the “brain drain” of successful UK businesses looking abroad. Cambridge-based computer chip designer Arm’s decision to list on the US Nasdaq exchange is the most prominent case.
The Conservative Party cast doubt on how effective the AI tools would be in helping people into work, warning that jobseekers need a “strong economy where employers can afford to hire them” rather than an app.
