GenAI's 'Double-Edged Sword': Safer Internet Day 2026

AI is front and centre for this year’s Safer Internet Day, marked in more than 100 countries.

The UK Safer Internet Centre’s 2026 theme is Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI.

In the US, ConnectSafely is highlighting Gen AI, media literacy with critical thinking, and civility under the global banner Together for a Better Internet.

Diverging rulebooks: UK and US

In the United Kingdom, it is a criminal offence to request or create AI deepfakes without a person’s consent.

The government has also opened discussions on regulating social media access for under-16s, a measure backed by the House of Lords.

In the United States, federal policy prioritises innovation and government adoption. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025 aims to sustain and expand US leadership in AI, and America’s AI Action Plan (July 2025) accelerates development via rapid data-centre build-out and removal of federal barriers.

On safety, the federal Take It Down Act (May 2025) directly targets AI-generated deepfakes and other non-consensual intimate imagery, while 46 states have criminalised related creation and/or distribution.

In parallel, 38 states adopted or enacted roughly 100 AI measures in 2025 and Texas’ new law, effective this January, regulates certain commercial uses of AI systems.

Boardroom acceleration, rising exposure

Corporate momentum is surging: BCG’s AI Radar 2026 finds 65% of CEOs rank accelerating AI among their top three priorities this year.

Risk is scaling alongside opportunity. Matt Cooke, EMEA Cybersecurity Strategist at Proofpoint, calls AI a “double-edged sword”.

He adds: “While Gen AI unlocks exciting opportunities, it also presents new dangers, including deepfakes, misinformation and data privacy vulnerabilities.

"That’s why a human-centric approach to online safety matters so much – because your online life is your real life. Screens don’t make things disappear, screenshots are forever, and the internet remembers.”

Washington vs. the States

Another executive order signed by Donald Trump in December 2025 seeks to limit new state-level AI rules in favour of federal legislation; state measures already enacted remain in force.

White House AI Adviser David Sacks said the order equips the administration to push back on the most “onerous” state requirements and noted it would not oppose protections focused on children’s safety.

Critics argue it curtails states’ basic rights to safeguard residents.

Guidance for families, educators and professionals

The UK Safer Internet Centre and the US’ ConnectSafely have both published extensive guidance for children and young people, parents and carers, educators and social workers, people with SEND needs and healthcare professionals.

Paul Holt, Group Vice President of EMEA at Digicert, underscores the trust imperative: “As a parent, I have learned that safety in the modern world is no longer about watching everything. It is about putting the right systems in place when oversight is no longer possible.

"Safer Internet Day is a reminder that in a machine-led Internet, trust has to be proven, every time, or it will fail at scale.”

UK trajectory: targeted rules now, broader bill ahead

The UK is often seen as trailing the EU and US on comprehensive AI legislation.

There is no general statutory framework yet, though targeted measures, such as the new deepfake law, are advancing.

An AI bill flagged in the July 2025 King’s Speech would focus on the most powerful models.

A broader AI Bill is expected with the next King’s Speech, reportedly in May 2026.