Ministers must act more quickly on deepfakes to protect women and girls, Kendall says

"It took eight years for [the Online Safety] Act to come in, and the technology has developed so rapidly it hasn't kept pace. Every year MPs have a finance bill to deal with the budget. In a world where technology is developing so quickly, we've got to be prepared to look at this much more, much more quickly."

"As a government and as a parliament, we can't have a situation where you only legislate once every eight years to deal with some of these issues, and that's something I am acutely aware of."

"Campaigners for a ban believe Keir Starmer is likely to back their cause, but worry that ministers will implement a relatively weak ban that they will not be given a chance to strengthen in parliament. They'll get a vote in the Commons, though added: It could be secondary."

The technology secretary emphasizes that rapid technological advancement, particularly deepfakes and online threats to women and girls, outpaces government regulatory capacity. Current legislation took eight years to implement while technology has evolved significantly beyond its scope. The government proposes annual regulatory reviews similar to budget processes to maintain pace with innovation. Following a roundtable with major tech companies including Meta, TikTok, and Google, the secretary urged stronger action against online misogyny. A consultation on banning social media for under-16s is underway, with new laws expected after summer. However, these may be implemented through secondary legislation, limiting parliamentary amendment opportunities, raising concerns among campaigners about enforcement strength.

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