Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the availability of guidance to parents following the planned social media ban for under 16s; what steps her Department will take to involve parents in the protection of their children online; whether her Department has assessed the risks of AI chatbot functions which are not covered by the planned regulation on sexualised AI chatbots including, harmful advice, over-reliance and emotional dependency and what steps her Department is taking to address the high-risk features of messaging platforms which are not addressed by the up-coming ban including disappearing content, which can perpetuate practises such as intimate-image abuse.

The government will provide a package of support for parents and carers to support children in navigating the online world safely. This includes an expanded media literacy campaign and Kids Online Safety Hub, providing advice, practical tools and support to help parents and carers support their children in navigating the online world safely and confidently.

The government will also restrict risky features, including contact with strangers, across a wider range of services - banning them for under-16s and making them off by default for 16 and 17-year-olds. The government also announced that we will make it impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices.

Finally, we have announced mandatory breaks for under-18s using chatbots, alongside committing to stronger action to address dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice.