Grok scandal exposes Online Safety Act flaws Tech The UK’s relatively new Online Safety Act was sold as its long-overdue answer to the alarming harms of social media. Brits were promised a framework tough enough to bar Silicon Valley access, tough enough to promote innovation, and strong enough to keep its users, particularly children, from digital abuse. Barely months into its rollout, controversial [...]
MPs push for stricter AI rules as UK lags Tech Over 100 UK parliamentarians have called on the government to tighten the reigns on AI regulation, warning that ministers risk letting the technology race ahead unchecked. The cross-party push, led by figures including former defence secretary Lord Des Browne and ex-environment minister Lord Zac Goldsmith, argues that superintelligent AI could become “the most perilous technological [...]
Alarming rise of social media use among toddlers Almost 800,000 children under the age of five are now likely to be using social media platforms in the UK, intensifying concerns around the country’s ability to protect the younger generation online. The figures, based of Ofcom’s recent research, reveal an alarming rise in very young children using platforms intended for teenagers or adults. It [...]
TikTok wants you to stop doomscrolling (on its own app) November 19, 2025 TikTok has spent years perfecting the dark art of keeping you glued to your phone, but now it wants to help you put the phone down. In a move that feels almost existential, the company announced on Wednesday the rollout of a new so-called ‘Time and Well‑Being’ centre designed to help people step away from [...]
Yoti revenue surges amid boost from Online Safety Act rules November 18, 2025 Yoti has seen a surge in revenue as the identity verification business was boosted by fresh rules introduced under the Online Safety Act. The London-based business posted a 55 per cent rise in turnover to £20.3m for the year to end March, according to accounts filed with Companies House. “Regulatory issues are central to the [...]
ChatGPT: OpenAI’s safety upgrade offers an illusion of care October 28, 2025 OpenAI has recently told users that its latest chatbot update aims to become a safer tool for users experiencing distress, particularly when showing signs of psychosis, mania, self-harm, and overall emotional over-reliance on AI. The company, known for its trigger of the AI boom in November 2022 and quasi-synonymous to conversational chatbots, said the changes were informed [...]
Microsoft pushes AI agents in cyber security amid growing threats September 30, 2025 Microsoft has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its Sentinel platform, pitching it as an “AI-ready security platform” designed to meet the speed and scale of modern cyber attacks. The tech heavyweight says its new data lake and AI agents will give security teams the ability to act in real time, blocking phishing attempts or compromised [...]
Meta to launch paid ad-free option on Facebook and Instagram in UK September 26, 2025 Meta is preparing to roll out a new subscription service in the UK that will allow users to pay to remove ads from Facebook and Instagram, raising questions about the future of ‘free’ social media. Over the coming weeks, UK users will see notifications explaining the change. Those who want to avoid ads can subscribe [...]
Supernova: Ex-Saatchi Sir John Hegarty backs social network September 25, 2025 Sir John Hegarty, the creative heavyweight behind Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA London and Bartle Bogle Hegarty, has become an investor and creative adviser to social network Supernova. The platform, created by former Saatchi adman and BAFTA winner Dominic O’Meara, bills itself as “social media for grown-ups”, promising to donate a share of every ‘like’ to [...]
Brits bypass Online Safety Act with VPNs, report finds September 11, 2025 The government’s flagship Online Safety Act is already being bypassed at scale, with a new survey showing nearly one in three Brits are still accessing adult content without age checks in place. Research by verification and anti-fraud platform Sumsub, which polled 2,000 UK consumers, found widespread scepticism about whether Ofcom and ministers can enforce the [...]