Children: Social Media

Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee Excerpts

Wednesday 10th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

We are focusing on implementation of the Online Safety Act: protecting children from harmful content, backing Ofcom as it goes through the children’s risk assessments of the platform operators, and ensuring that the duties that came in in July are effective. That is the priority for the time being. As I said, we are looking at the evidence and assessing what other measures may be needed. If we need to do so in due course, we will do so.

[Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I absolutely agree with the Minister’s point of view that everything needs to be evidence-based. But can I suggest to the Minister that, when she looks at social media harms to children, she also looks at AI chatbots, which can make harmful suggestions to children online? I believe the Government should take that very seriously, so I ask her to look at this harmful element, which is harming our young people.

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The noble Baroness raises the importance of keeping up to speed with technological developments and looking at their potential impact. Many AI services are already regulated under the Online Safety Act, including chatbots, and so would fall under the purview of the current regime. If there is a risk of harm to users from illegal content, or content that is harmful to children, that would already fall under the regime and there will be duties that apply on it. The Secretary of State has confirmed to Parliament that she is looking to make sure that there are no gaps in the current legislation. She is also looking to make sure that Ofcom is using its existing powers to regulate those AI chatbots that currently fall within the regime.