UK Politics

Tech firms have been warned to act now or face the consequences, as new online safety protections for children come into force.From Friday, so-called “risky” sites and apps will be expected to use what the regulator has described as “highly effective” age checks to identify which users are children and subsequently prevent them from accessing pornography, as well as other harmful content including self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and extreme violence.But some online safety campaigners said while the new measures should have been a “watershed moment for young people”, regulator Ofcom has instead “let down” parents, accusing it of choosing to “prioritise the business needs of big tech over children’s safety”.The Molly Rose Foundation, founded by bereaved father Ian Russell after his 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life having viewed harmful content on social media, said the changes lack ambition and accountability and warned that big tech will have taken note.In the face of campaigners’ criticism, Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes has previously defended the reforms, insisting that tech firms are not being given much power over the new measures, which are coming into effect as part of the Online Safety Act.The changes, which will apply across the UK, include age checks on pornography websites, as well as others such as dating app Grindr, which Ofcom said will ensure it is more difficult for children in the UK to access online porn than in many other countries.The regulator said sites such as X, formerly Twitter, and others including Bluesky and Reddit have also committed to age assurances.Ofcom said its safety codes also demand that algorithms “must be tamed and configured for children so that the most harmful material is blocked”.It said it has launched a monitoring and impact programme focused on some of the platforms where children spend most time including social media sites Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, gaming site Roblox and video clip website YouTube.The sites are among those which have been asked to submit, by August 7, a review of their efforts to assess risks to children and, by September 30, scrutiny of the practical actions they are taking to keep children safe.Actions which could be taken against firms which fail to comply with the new codes include fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, and court orders potentially blocking access in the UK.The NSPCC has warned that Ofcom must “show its teeth and fully enforce the new codes”.Dame Melanie said: “Prioritising clicks and engagement over children’s online safety will no longer be tolerated in the UK.“Our message to tech firms is clear – comply with age checks and other protection measures set out in our codes, or face the consequences of enforcement action from Ofcom.”But Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said: “This should be a watershed moment for young people but instead we’ve been let down by a regulator that has chosen to prioritise the business needs of big tech over children’s safety.”He said the “lack of ambition and accountability will have been heard loud and clear in Silicon Valley”.He added: “We now need a clear reset and leadership from the Prime Minister. That means nothing less than a new Online Safety Act that fixes this broken regime and firmly puts the balance back in favour of children.”Chris Sherwood, chief executive at the NSPCC, said: “Children, and their parents, must not solely bear the responsibility of keeping themselves safe online. It’s high time for tech companies to step up.”He said if enforcement is “strong”, the codes should offer a “vital layer of protection” for children and young people when they go online, adding: “If tech companies fail to comply, Ofcom must show its teeth and fully enforce the new codes”.England’s Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said Friday “marks a new era of change in how children can be protected online, with tech companies now needing to identify and tackle the risks to children on their platforms or face consequences”, and said the measures must keep pace with emerging technology to make them effective in the future.She added: “I will continue to reflect the views of children in the work I do with Ofcom to make the online world a safer place for all children. Protection must always come before profit.” More

Ministers are ready to respond if fresh riots erupt this summer as tensions simmer over migrant hotels in communities across the UK. The business secretary has said government agencies, the police and emergency services are prepared for potential disorder after violent demonstrations outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, Essex.But a former top prosecutor called for “much, much more” to be done, saying local community ‘Cobra’ meetings should be “happening now” in potential hotspots and policing resources should be put in place to prevent further outbreaks. Local Conservative MP Dr Neil Hudson has warned the riots in Essex are a “crisis that has reached boiling point”. Jonathan Reynolds said the government is prepared for potential disorder More

Sir Keir Starmer has warned backbench Labour MPs against future rebellions as he seeks to restamp his authority on the party after a series of setbacks.The prime minister suffered the biggest rebellion of his premiership over his plans to cut benefits by billions, climbing down at the last minute amid fears his majority could be overturned. In the end, 47 Labour MPs voted against the welfare bill at its final Commons hurdle.And chief whip Sir Alan Campbell wrote to rebels on Wednesday to remind them of their votes against the measures. Sir Keir Starmer has warned rebels as he seeks to restore his authority over his party More

Liz Kendall announced this week that she is reviving the pension commission as the government tries to tackle what she described as a looming “tsunami of pensioner poverty”.The work and pensions secretary said the government is setting out to “tackle the barriers that stop too many saving in the first place” after her department found that people retiring in 2050 are on track to be poorer than those retiring today, expecting to get £800 less in private pension income. Currently, just 55 per cent of working age adults in the UK are contributing to a pension pot, and MPs have said that a UK-wide strategy is needed to address pensioner poverty.But the UK’s pension dilemma is not unique. Countries across the world are grappling with similar looming crises, driven by a combination of factors including demographic shifts, low interest rates and economic instability. Here, the Independent takes a look at what action other governments are taking to stave off the impending crisis.United States In the United States, half of all private-sector workers are unable to get a retirement plan through their jobs, according to a survey published in June by Pew Charitable Trusts. The US’s most common workplace retirement plan is a 401(k), which allows employees to voluntarily put money aside for retirement which is typically matched by their employers. The total employee and employer contributions to a 401(k) cannot exceed $70,000 per year. Around 27 per cent of Americans over the age of 59 have no savings to rely on in their retirement, according to a survey by financial services firm Credit Karma in 2023. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was expected to sign an order that would open up 401(k)s to the private markets. It would order the US Labor Department and Securities and Exchange Commission to create guidance for employers on including private assets in 401(k) plans, which could, in turn, create more investment opportunities for them. Currently, the key challenge for many countries remains the low rate of pension saving. More than half (59 per cent) of working Canadians do not believe they will have enough money to retire, according to a survey conducted this year by Canadian pension fund HOOPP, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. However, Canada is tackling this through rate increases within their savings system.The government has expanded the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), a monthly benefit that replaces a percentage of a person’s income after they retire.Between 2019 to 2025, it has increased the percentage of how much of a worker’s earnings are replaced from 25 per cent to 33.33 per cent. It has also increased the maximum level of earnings protected by the CPP by 14 per cent over 2024 and 2025. Australia is recognised as having one of the world’s top pension schemes where employers are required to pay a percentage of their employees earnings into an account which that employee can then access once they have retired. As of this month, employers are now required to contribute 12 per cent to employees’ retirement savings accounts, up from 11.5 per cent. They are also taking steps to close the gender pension pay gap with the Labor Government introducing a superannuation top up for parents taking time off to care for a newborn. The CityUK CEO Miles Celic said: “total contributions will have to rise if we are to emulate the successes of, for example, Australia and Canada. “This will involve difficult political choices alongside technical changes to policy and regulation.” In 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the age of retirement from 62 to 64, which sparked massive public backlash and protests. Macron’s administration argued that the reform was essential to prevent long-term deficits in the pension system. At the time, Macron said he did not enjoy passing the reform but called it a necessity, saying “the longer we wait, the more (the deficit) will deteriorate.” As well as increasing the age of retirement, France has also hiked the minimum contributory requirements by 2 per cent this year across all bands.The minimum contribution applies to retirement pensions under its Pension Insurance scheme. In Germany, the retirement age is gradually being raised from 65 to 67. Like many governments across Europe, it is trying to reduce pressure on the pension system created by aging populations. Last year, it approved pension reform and its new government has set out a series of policies that include maintaining the amount paid to retirees each month – which is 48 per cent of the average monthly salary. More

Ministers should ensure a retired people have a minimum level of income to prevent a surge in pensioner poverty, MPs have warned. It comes after the work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said Britain faced a “tsunami of pensioner poverty” without major reform to the system as she opened the door to an increase in the state pension age. Age UK has found that two million pensioners are already in poverty, with the number expected to rise. Now MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee say a new national strategy to tackle the problem among older people is needed. They have urged the government to set and deliver a minimum level of retirement income, enough for a “dignified, socially acceptable standard of living” in later life. The UK’s Pension Insurance Corporation has agreed to be bought for £5.7 billion (Lucy North/PA)The report also warns that, as people age, the health and social care systems risk becoming unsustainable if ministers fail to tackle the effect poverty has on ill-health. Among the worrying long-term trends that “threaten to undermine pension adequacy”, are people renting into later life, the report adds.It also calls for ministers to ensure those entitled to pensions credits of up to £4,000 a year receive them. Current take up is under 70 per cent, with an estimated 700,000 households missing out. Labour MP Debbie Abrahams (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) More

Sir Keir Starmer is set to sign one of his landmark trade deal with India prime minister Narendra Modi which has already unleashed billions of investment in the UK.The signing of the trade deal with India after years of negotiation marks a triumph for Sir Keir, who has also achieved a Brexit reset agreement with the EU and a deal with Donald Trump to tackle the US president’s new tariffs.It comes as the India prime minister visits the UK on a trip aimed to build relations between the two countries.According to the government, the deal which was agreed in May, has already resulted in £6 billion in investment for the British economy.The prime minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime.Sir Keir Starmer (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) More

Protesters surrounded an empty hotel in London’s finance district after false rumours online suggested it was being used for migrants from another hotel, where riots have broken out. The Home Office has earmarked more than 400 beds at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, which it says it will use to house migrants at £81 per night per person. Protesters gathered at the site on Tuesday after social media posts claimed migrants were being moved there from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which has been the scene of violent protests over the past few days. So far, 10 people have been arrested in connection with that disorder, which was sparked when an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault. Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist, is among those who claimed online that migrants were being transferred to the London hotel from Epping. The rumours sparked protests and counterprotests, with police drafted to the scene on Tuesday, despite the hotel currently sitting empty. Police attended as demonstrators gathered outside the hotel More