UK tech secretary vows to enhance child online protections

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle expressed deep shock after visiting the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which combats child sexual abuse images. He highlighted the alarming rise in AI-generated indecent content and pledged to enhance protections for children online. Starting tomorrow, tech companies must address criminal activity on their platforms under the Online Safety Act, facing fines for non-compliance. Kyle criticized the current legislation as "uneven" and indicated a willingness to introduce further regulations. The IWF reported a significant increase in online child sexual abuse imagery, with a record number of web pages removed last year. They also launched a "Report Remove" service to help children erase illegal images from the internet.