The government wants to ban chatbots for under-16s. One founder says that would remove the tool that was there at 2am when no-one else was.
A government consultation on restricting AI chatbots for young people closes on 26 May. Ruth Sparkes, who built Quinly, a safeguarding chatbot already handling thousands of anonymous disclosures from children, says a blanket ban would eliminate the tools doing the most important work at the moments that matter most.
By Wistl Editorial · · At Home
The government's consultation on potential restrictions on AI chatbots for under-16s, which runs alongside a broader review of social media age limits and digital safety for children, closes on 26 May 2026. Technology Minister Liz Kendall has been considering a ban on AI chatbots for children, and new legal powers in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill would allow the government to act quickly on the consultation's outcomes. The proposed measure has drawn widespread support from parents and child safety campaigners concerned about companion chatbots engineered to simulate friendship and