By Caitlin Quintos
One of the most targeted female politicians in Northern Ireland, MLA Cara Hunter, believes that “stronger limits can provide meaningful protection” in the online world.
Her statement comes as the Prime Minister announces new plans in a bid to improve child safety online.
Speaking today (Mon 16, Feb), Keir Starmer announced new powers to act within months to “keep children safe amid rapid technology changes”.
Saying the actions will “ensure no platform gets a free pass”, with the government closing “loopholes that put children at risk”, and laying the groundwork for “further, faster action”
The PM also highlighted moves to crackdown on AI chatbots to protect people from illegal content. All AI chatbot providers will be required to follow the Online Safety Act or deal with the consequences of breaking the law.
Among the actions planned is an under-16s social media ban, limiting VPN access, and restrictions to stop harmful habits such as ‘doomscrolling’ and autoplay.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Starmer said that while the Tories took years to pass the Online Safety Act, he fully intends to implement these changes in a matter of months. “Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader, not a follower, when it comes to online safety.”
The government plans to consult with tech companies on how to safeguard children, with Mr. Starmer saying action taken against Grok is a ‘clear message that no platform gets a free pass.” Adding as a parent, he understands that social media is something parents worry about, and that the moves are to “help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”
Cara Hunter of the SDLP has welcomed the moves, after she was affected negatively by the AI tool Grok.
She said, “Social media has been both a tool and a risk in my life”. Adding as a politician, she benefited from being on social media by being able to amplify important issues and connect with people.
However, she has also experienced the darker side of the internet as a victim of a deepfake video from over four years ago and quit the social media site, ‘X’.
Cara Hunter said “If these new changes are implemented properly, harm can be reduced. The speed, scale and permanence of online content mean that harm can spread rapidly and widely,” adding the platforms “were not originally designed with child development in mind”.
Calling it a significant step forward that they had these discussions in the Chamber, t she believes that it is not the final step, with more needed in terms of stronger enforcement mechanisms, clear accountability when companies fail to act, faster removal pathways for harmful content, support systems for victims and an ongoing review as technology evolves.
Ms. Hunter said: “Our SDLP motion should not be viewed as a one-off intervention, but as the beginning of a longer process to ensure that digital spaces are safe, fair, and developmentally appropriate, especially for children.”
The moves to better protect people online have also been welcomed by students who grew up with social media, with one university student saying that the actions the government plans to implement would have been great to have at a younger age.
Aina, a student at Ulster University, said although it is the parents’ responsibility to look after their kids online, they did not know much about it themselves, as the internet was also new to them. “Given that we had such free access to the internet when our parents barely knew what it was, I think it would’ve been nice to have this implemented earlier.”
