Tech bosses threatened with jail as government cracks down on children’s access to social media
Social media companies must face tough sanctions if they fail to keep children safe from harmful content, the technology secretary has said.
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be “watertight”, and that apps that do not protect children will face heavy fines and even jail time for company bosses.
He was talking ahead of new requirements, to be announced by the regulator Ofcom in mid-January, for platforms to protect children from a wide range of harmful content including bullying, violence and dangerous stunts.
Apps for adults only will also be required to introduce tighter age verification, via a credit card or ID.
Mr Kyle said: “If they allow the children who are under the age that is appropriate, to view content, then they can face heavy fines and, in some circumstances, they’ll face prison sentences.
“This is the kind of direction of travel you’re going to have with me because I want to make sure kids are kept safe. These are not rules and powers that I’m bringing in just to sit on a shelf.
“These are powers that we’re bringing in for a purpose. At the moment, I accept that parents don’t believe that their kids are safe online because too often they’re not.”
‘Not enough research’
Mr Kyle said he was “in admiration of what these companies have created” and that lots of organisations, including the government, could learn from the tech sector.
But he added: “I do have a real deep frustration and yes, that could be called anger when it comes to the fact that not enough research has been produced about the impact their products have.
“If I was producing a product that was going to be used ubiquitously throughout society that I knew that children as young as five are going to be accessing it, I would want to be pretty certain that it’s not having a negative impact on young people.”
Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be ‘watertight’
The Online Safety Act was passed in October 2023 and is being implemented in stages. It will allow companies to be fined up to £18m, or 10% of turnover as well as criminal charges.
In December, the regulator Ofcom set out which content is illegal – including sexual exploitation, fraud and drug and weapons offences.
Could UK follow Australia?
The Australian government has announced it will ban under-16s from most social media altogether, which some campaigners are calling for the UK to follow.
Mr Kyle said he has no plans for one at this stage, as he met a group of teenagers from across the country at the NSPCC children’s charity to talk about their experiences online.
Some mentioned the “addictiveness” of social media, and coming across “distressing” content. But all were against a ban, highlighting the positives for learning, and of online communities.
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Parents tell Ofcom to ‘step up’ over social media content
The UK chief medical officers reviewed the evidence on harm to children from “screen-based activities” – including social media and gaming – in 2019.
Their report found associations with anxiety and depression, but not enough evidence to prove a causal link. It backed a minimum age of 13 for using these apps.
But the technology secretary has commissioned more research to look at the issue again by next summer, as countries including France and Norway have raised the minimum age to 14 or 15.
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More social media restrictions for under-16s?
Children ‘getting dopamine hits’
Ofcom research last year found nearly a quarter of five-to-seven-year-olds have their own smartphone, with two in five using messaging services such as WhatsApp despite it having a minimum age of 13.
By the time they are 11, more than 90 percent of children have a smartphone.
Lee Fernandes, a psychotherapist specialising in addiction, told Sky News at his London clinic that he has been increasingly treating screen addiction in young adults, some of whose problems began in their teenage years.
“In the last five years, I’ve seen a big increase in addictions relating to technology,” he said.
“I think everyone just thinks it’s mindless scrolling, but we’re habituating children’s minds to be stimulated from using these phones and they’re getting these hits of dopamine, these rewards.”
Social media companies privately say teenagers use over 50 apps a week and argue that app stores should develop a “one-stop shop” rather than ID checks for each individual app.
Some platforms already require teenagers to prove their age through a video selfie or ID check if they attempt to change their age to over-18.
There are also AI models being developed to detect under-18s pretending to be adults. Specific teen accounts by providers including Meta restrict certain messages and content.
Politics
UK-US trade deal ‘isn’t worth the paper it’s written on’, says Nobel Prize-winning economist
A Nobel Prize-winning economist has told Sky News the recently announced UK-US trade deal “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on”.
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump announced the “first-of-a-kind” agreement with a live, televised phone call earlier this week – and the British prime minister hailed the deal as one that will save thousands of jobs in the UK.
Politics latest: Tories criticise proposals to tackle immigration
But leading economist Joseph Stiglitz has told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips he “wouldn’t view [the deal] as a great achievement”.
“Any agreement with Trump isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” he said, pointing out the president signed deals with Canada and Mexico during his first term – only to slap them with hiked tariffs within days of returning to the White House this year.
“I would view it as playing into Trump’s strategy,” he said.
“His strategy is divide and conquer, go after the weakest countries, and sort of put the stronger countries in the back.”
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How good is the UK-US deal?
The scramble to secure a UK-US trade deal was sparked by Mr Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ announcement last month, which saw the president hike import tariffs for multiple countries and subsequently send global markets crashing.
China initially faced tariffs of 34% and when Beijing hit the US with retaliatory rates, a trade war quickly ensued.
The US and China now impose tariffs of above 100% on each other, but representatives from the two countries have this weekend met for high-stakes negotiations.
Read more:
Key details in the UK-US deal
Analysis – the challenge Starmer faces
Donald Trump, with US vice president JD Vance and Britain’s ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, announcing the deal. Pic: AP
Sir Keir Starmer dialled in for the deal announcement. Pic: AP
With its response to Mr Trump, Beijing “made it very clear that the US is very dependent on China in so many ways,” Mr Stiglitz said.
“So they’re beginning now to negotiate, but from a position of strength.”
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Asked if he thinks the UK should have focused on its relationship with the EU instead of the US, Mr Stiglitz said: “Very much so.
“My view is that if you had worked with the EU to get a good deal, you could have done better than what you’ve done.
“If it turns out, in the end, when you work it all out, Trump is unhappy, he’ll run. If he’s unhappy, I pray for you.”
Among the terms in the UK-US trade deal are reduced tariffs on British car and steel exports to the US, while the UK has agreed to remove a tariff on ethanol, used to produce beer.
The agreement also opens a new agricultural exchange, with US farmers being given access to the UK for the first time – though UK food standards on imports have not been weakened.
UFC fighter turned Irish political candidate Conor McGregor has endorsed the idea of building a Bitcoin reserve in his country to give more “power back to the people.”
“Crypto in it’s origin was founded to give power back to the people. An Irish Bitcoin strategic reserve will give power to the people’s money,” McGregor wrote to X on May 9.
The former UFC champion said he would discuss his plans in more detail in an upcoming X spaces, prompting responses from some of the Bitcoin industry’s most prominent leaders.
“We need the greatest minds for this BTC Reserve. Message me and lets chat on my space,” McGregor said in response to Bitcoiner and host of The Pomp Podcast, Anthony Pompliano.
One of US President Donald Trump’s crypto advisors, David Bailey, also reached out, to which McGregor responded: “David message me, let’s discuss your ideas!”
McGregor announced his independent candidacy for the Irish presidency in late March 2025, centering his campaign on anti-immigration policies and combating crime.
Ireland’s next presidential election must take place by Nov. 11, 2025, as the term of the current President, Michael D. Higgins, is set to end the day after.
Establishing a Bitcoin reserve — let alone one coming from a minor, independent party — would be no easy feat.
Despite recent regulatory progress, the US, El Salvador and Bhutan are among the few countries that have established a Bitcoin reserve to date.
Related: US has ‘countless’ ways to bolster Bitcoin reserve: Bo Hines
McGregor’s political visibility was recently boosted by a trip to the White House, where he met Trump and received his support.
However, McGregor is facing intense scrutiny in Ireland, having recently been found guilty of sexual assault in a civil case — a conviction which he has since appealed — while also previously being investigated for hate speech crimes.
McGregor’s last crypto endeavor failed
McGregor’s push for a Bitcoin reserve comes a little over a month after the McGregor-backed REAL project failed to attract sufficient funding in its token launch pre-sale, prompting a full refund to all token bidders.
The team behind the project, Real World Gaming, only raised $392,315 over a 28-hour presale on April 5 and 6, less than half of the $1 million minimum requirement that it initially set.
Magazine: Adam Back says Bitcoin price cycle ’10x bigger’ but will still decisively break above $100K
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
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