Crypto World
Binance Battles Explosive Iran Claims in $1 Billion Allegation
Binance is forcefully rejecting allegations that its internal investigators uncovered more than $1 billion in Iran-linked transactions and were subsequently dismissed.
The pushback escalates tensions between the world’s largest crypto exchange and sections of the financial press.
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Binance Rejects Allegations and Defends Compliance Record
The controversy stems from a February 13 investigative report by Fortune, which alleged that compliance investigators identified over $1 billion in transactions tied to Iranian entities between March 2024 and August 2025.
The transfers reportedly involved Tether (USDT) on the Tron blockchain, an ecosystem frequently scrutinized by regulators for sanctions-related activity.
According to the report, at least five members of Binance’s compliance investigations team were dismissed after raising concerns internally.
Several of the affected staff were described as senior investigators with law enforcement backgrounds. Additional compliance personnel were also said to have departed in recent months, though the precise reasons for their exits were not publicly confirmed.
Binance Says “The Record Must Be Clear”
In a public statement, Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng directly refuted the allegations.
“The record must be clear. No sanctions violations were found, no investigators were fired for raising concerns, and Binance continues to meet its regulatory commitments. We’ve asked for corrections to recent reporting,” Teng wrote.
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In a formal letter addressed to Fortune, Binance Communications stated that the article contained “gross material inaccuracies and misleading implications.” The company articulated that:
- No personnel were terminated for reporting sanctions concerns.
- No personnel decisions or terminations are related to the reporting of alleged sanctions violations.
Binance further asserted that a full internal review, conducted alongside external legal counsel, found no evidence of sanctions breaches related to the referenced activity.
The letter emphasized that the exchange operates under whistleblower protections and strict employment laws across multiple jurisdictions.
Binance also pushed back against suggestions it had reneged on regulatory commitments stemming from its 2023 settlement with US authorities.
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The exchange has committed to fully cooperate with monitorship requirements. Reportedly, they have also “significantly strengthened” their sanctions screening, monitoring, and compliance infrastructure since the resolution.
Heightened Sensitivity Post-Settlement
The allegations are particularly sensitive given Binance’s 2023 $4.3 billion settlement over anti-money laundering and sanctions violations. Since then, the exchange has operated under enhanced compliance obligations and increased regulatory scrutiny.
However,beyond the dispute itself, the incident highlights broader concerns about stablecoins and sanctions evasion.
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Blockchain analytics firms, including TRM Labs, Chainalysis, and Elliptic, have previously reported growing use of USDT by Iranian-linked actors to move funds outside traditional banking channels.
US authorities, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), have sanctioned other exchanges over similar Iran-linked activity involving USDT on Tron.
The standoff remains a battle of narratives, with anonymous-source allegations meeting categorical corporate denials.
With no new enforcement action announced, the question shifts from whether violations occurred to how transparency, compliance, and investigative reporting intersect in an industry still fighting to rebuild trust.
Coinbase is facing mounting criticism from users after many participants in its Super Bowl “Big Game Challenge” prediction market contest reported delayed or missing payouts, even after qualifying for shares of the advertised Bitcoin prize pool.
Community complaints and technical issues highlight the growing pains of prediction markets as they surge in popularity while confronting regulatory, operational, and infrastructure challenges.
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Coinbase Payout Issues Highlight Prediction Markets’ Growing Pains
On Reddit and other forums, users described confusing and frustrating experiences with the payout process. Reportedly, some users correctly predicted outcomes in the Big Game but “still haven’t been paid.
Others reported winnings showing briefly in their account balances before disappearing without explanation, or payouts reflected in USD without transferability or access.
Amidst these frustrations, some are calling the situation a “rug pull,” claiming Coinbase’s app initially confirmed a win after five correct picks, the threshold for eligibility, only for a later email to declare they had not won.
“According to the Coinbase app, I had won the Big Game Predictions with 5 correct predictions with $5 bet on each prediction. It told await my payout. However, I just received an email from Coinbase stating that I did not win. Does anyone else feel like this was a rug pull or a scam in some way? They said.
However, support responses seen in some threads indicate that rewards are being held until all prediction markets and mail‑in entries are settled, in line with the contest’s official rules.
Coinbase has previously said winners will receive Bitcoin rewards directly into their accounts by February 23, 2026.
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However, the lack of transparency and account migrations has frustrated users trying to confirm settlement status.
“We completely understand how important this is to you. Verified winners will receive their prize directly into their Coinbase account. The prize amount will be a share of $1,000,000 in Bitcoin, divided equally among all winners. Prizes are expected to be fulfilled no later than February 23, 2026,” Coinbase explained.
Infrastructure Strains, Regulatory Hurdles, and the Rising Stakes for Crypto Prediction Markets
The timing of these complaints coincides with broader strains in crypto-linked prediction markets. Partner platform Kalshi, which provides the backend for Coinbase’s event contracts, suffered deposit and transaction delays during the Super Bowl due to overwhelming traffic.
“Kalshi does all this ad investment just for their app, not to let you deposit on Super Bowl Day, sounds about right,” one user lamented.
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Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara acknowledged slowdowns but assured users that funds were “safe and on the way.
These operational stretches highlight how infrastructure designed for everyday trading may struggle with spikes tied to major events.
Similar technical pressure was observed across the industry on prediction markets during the championship. This suggests systemic scalability challenges for platforms offering event contracts under high demand.
The Coinbase backlash arrives amid a broader regulatory and legal battleground. State gaming regulators, such as the Nevada Gaming Control Board, have sued Coinbase to block its prediction markets. They argue that they constitute unlicensed sports wagering.
These legal actions fuel uncertainty around the regulatory status of event contracts, complicating rollout and user experiences.
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Meanwhile, critics from within the crypto community note that prediction markets must mature beyond short-term speculative betting.
Voices like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin have warned that over-reliance on speculative contracts may create products lacking deeper utility, urging a focus on hedging and risk‑management applications.
The current Coinbase backlash highlights the operational and communication gaps that can accompany rapid product expansion.
OKX secured a Malta payment institution license to support EU-compliant stablecoin services, including OKX Pay and the OKX Card.
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX expanded its regulatory footprint in Europe, securing a license for stablecoin payments.
OKX has obtained a Payment Institution (PI) license in Malta, the company told Cointelegraph on Monday. The authorization is issued under the European Union’s payments framework and is designed to bring OKX’s payment products into line with requirements under the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2).
Under these rules, crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) offering payment services involving stablecoins must hold either a PI or Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorization. OKX’s PI license comes more than a year after the exchange received a MiCA license from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) in January 2025.
“Securing a Payment Institution license ensures that these products operate on a fully compliant footing,” OKX Europe CEO Erald Ghoos said, adding:
“Europe has chosen clarity over ambiguity when it comes to digital asset regulation […] Stablecoins can meaningfully modernize money, improving cross-border efficiency and reducing friction in payments, but only if built within strong regulatory guardrails.”
License supports OKX Pay and OKX Card rollout
The exchange said the license will cover products including OKX Pay and the OKX Card, which allow users to spend crypto assets and stablecoins.
Officially launched in late January, OKX Card supports spending in stablecoins such as Circle’s USDC (USDC) and the Paxos-issued Global Dollar (USDG).
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
Tokenized Treasuries still dominate RWAs, but fast‑growing tokenized equities signal a broader shift toward on‑chain capital markets in 2026.
Summary
- Tokenized U.S. Treasuries remain the largest slice of the RWA market by market cap.
- Tokenized public equities are now the fastest‑growing RWA segment as DeFi rails mature.
- 2026 is shaping up as a transition year from yield‑only RWAs to a full on‑chain market stack.
Tokenized U.S. Treasuries continue to dominate the real-world asset market by market capitalization, though new data indicates tokenized equities have emerged as the fastest-growing segment within the sector.
The data suggests 2026 may mark a broader expansion of on-chain financial products beyond yield-focused instruments, the report stated.
Tokenized U.S. Treasuries maintain the largest market capitalization and hold a clear lead over other asset classes, according to the data. Growth momentum has become increasingly visible in tokenized public equities, which are expanding at a faster relative pace than other categories.
The tokenized asset market comprises a diversified structure including U.S. Treasury debt, commodities, private credit, institutional alternative funds, corporate bonds, non-U.S. government debt and public equity, the report showed.
Treasuries remain the core foundation due to yield stability and regulatory clarity, factors that make them attractive for institutional adoption, according to market analysts. Commodities and private credit follow as the next largest categories, reflecting demand for income-generating and inflation-hedging instruments.
Tokenized equities, while smaller in absolute size, are experiencing accelerated adoption, particularly as decentralized finance infrastructure improves, the data indicated. The ability to use tokenized stocks as collateral, integrate them into lending markets, and access them globally without traditional brokerage constraints has driven new demand, according to industry observers.
Unlike Treasuries, which primarily serve as yield-bearing instruments, tokenized equities introduce growth exposure into DeFi-native portfolios, the report noted. The combination of capital efficiency and composability has positioned equities as a high-growth vertical within real-world assets.
The data suggests the real-world asset narrative is evolving from early growth centered on stable, income-producing assets like government debt toward utility, composability, and integration with on-chain financial systems. If the trend continues, 2026 could represent a transition phase where tokenization moves from experimental adoption to a more comprehensive financial infrastructure layer spanning debt, credit, commodities and equities, according to the analysis.
As the chart indicates, AAPL shares declined from roughly $275 to $256 over Thursday and Friday — a drop of about 7%. This move has effectively erased the gains that followed the strong earnings report released on 29 January.
Why Is AAPL Falling?
According to media reports, negative sentiment has been driven by:
→ Data pointing to rising memory chip costs, which could weigh on profit margins.
→ Reports that the long-anticipated Siri upgrade featuring advanced AI capabilities has been delayed again.
→ Increased scrutiny of the company’s operations by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Technical Analysis of Apple (AAPL) Shares
At the start of 2026, AAPL shares broke below an ascending channel (shown in black) near the $272 level. Price and volume dynamics suggest this area has become a zone where bears are active and gaining the upper hand.
Note the following (as highlighted by the arrows):
→ On 4 February, the price edged higher slightly, but trading volumes were elevated — signalling difficulty for bulls in sustaining upward momentum.
→ The 11 February candle shows a long upper shadow, displaying the characteristics of an Upthrust After Distribution (UTAD) in Wyckoff methodology terms.
Taken together, this suggests that initiative currently lies with the bears. Price action may continue to develop within the descending channel (shown in red), with the potential to set a new low for the year.
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Russia’s Ministry of Finance has estimated the country’s daily cryptocurrency turnover at 50 billion rubles, or roughly $650 million, with annual activity exceeding 10 trillion rubles, around $130.5 billion.
The figures were shared by Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov at the Alfa Talk conference, highlighting the growing scale of unregulated crypto use in the country, local outlet RBC reports.
“This is a turnover of more than 10 trillion rubles per year, which is currently taking place outside the regulated zone, outside our attention,” Chebeskov said.
Government officials, including the Bank of Russia, are now pushing for legislation to bring that activity into the regulatory fold.
Vladimir Chistyukhin, first deputy of chairman of the Central Bank, said both the government and the Bank hope a crypto market regulation bill will be passed during the State Duma’s spring session.
The proposed rules would allow existing licensed infrastructure, like exchanges and brokers, to enter the cryptocurrency space and boost their crypto offerings. The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is already offering bitcoin and ether cash-settled futures contracts, and plans on adding SOL, XRP, and TRX futures.
The new framework would also allow MOEX and brokers to enter the spot market. Qualified and non-qualified investors would be allowed to participate, though with restrictions for the latter. Specific licensing would only apply to crypto exchange offices, and penalties are planned for unlicensed intermediaries.
According to the Bank of Russia’s financial stability report, Russian users held an estimated 933 billion rubles ($11.89 billion) on global crypto exchanges in mid-2025. These platforms are not currently regulated in Russia.
Sergey Shvetsov, Chairman of the Moscow Exchange’s Supervisory Board, said Russian users pay around $15 billion annually in commissions to global crypto platforms.
“As soon as it becomes possible, we will begin to compete with the gray sector,” he said. “The commissions that crypto exchanges and regular exchanges receive from trading crypto assets annually is $50 billion; there are estimates that the Russian share is about a third.”
Russia is indeed estimated to be the largest cryptocurrency market in Europe. Chainalysis found that between July 2024 and June 2025, Russia received $376.3 billion in crypto, far ahead of the $273.2 billion the United Kingdom received over the same period. Germany and Ukraine were the only other European countries to have received over $200 billion for the period.
Ripple’s XRP has staged a sharp rebound after printing a local low near $1.10, but the broader structure remains fragile. The recent impulsive move higher has pushed the price back into a key supply area, creating a critical decision point between continuation and another rejection within the dominant downtrend.
Ripple Price Analysis: The Daily Chart
On the daily timeframe, XRP remains inside a well-defined descending channel, respecting the bearish structure despite the recent bounce. The sell-off accelerated toward the major demand zone around $1.10–$1.20, where buyers finally stepped in aggressively. This reaction confirms the significance of the $1.15 area as a strong higher-timeframe demand.
However, the rebound is now approaching the channel’s middle trendline , a prior breakdown region near $1.75–$1.85, which previously acted as support and has now flipped into resistance. As long as the asset remains below this $1.80 region, the broader bias stays corrective within a bearish trend. A daily close above $1.85 would open the path toward the next major supply at $2.40–$2.50, while rejection from this zone could send the price back toward $1.20 again.
XRP/USDT 4-Hour Chart
On the 4-hour timeframe, the recovery appears more impulsive, with strong bullish candles reclaiming the short-term supply area around $1.50–$1.55. The asset pushed into the $1.65–$1.80 region, which aligns with minor intraday supply and the lower boundary of the previous consolidation range. However, it was rejected there and brought back to its starting point.
If RP manages to stabilize above $1.55 and build a base between $1.55 and $1.70, a continuation toward $1.80 becomes likely. On the other hand, failure to hold above $1.55 could shift momentum back to the downside, exposing $1.30 first and then the key $1.15 demand again.
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Altcoin markets remain highly reactive as February enters its third week, with several major tokens approaching critical technical inflection points. While broader sentiment remains fragile, select assets are relying on external developments that could determine their next directional move.
In line with the same, BeInCrypto has analysed three such altcoins that the investors should watch in the third week of February.
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Arbitrum (ARB)
ARB is trading at $0.1134 following a sustained downtrend from $0.2261, maintaining a clear bearish market structure defined by consecutive lower highs and heavy sell-side pressure. Fibonacci retracement levels mark $0.1255 (0.236) as immediate overhead resistance, with $0.1447 (0.382) acting as the next key supply zone. Momentum remains skewed to the downside.
Near-term support sits at $0.1074, just above the altcoin’s all-time low at $0.0944. A daily close below $0.1074 would likely trigger continuation toward $0.0944. A breakdown beneath that level opens the door to fresh price discovery. CMF at -0.04 reflects ongoing capital outflows and a lack of meaningful accumulation.
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For bulls to shift structure, ARB needs a decisive daily close above $0.1255 to regain short-term control. A confirmed breakout above $0.1447 would signal a broader trend reversal, targeting $0.1758 (0.618). The bearish thesis is invalidated only on strong acceptance above $0.1447; until then, downside risk toward $0.0944 prevails.
Injective (INJ)
INJ is trading at $3.134 after a sharp rejection from $5.924, maintaining a clear bearish market structure defined by lower highs and impulsive sell-side candles. Fibonacci retracement levels place immediate resistance at 0.382 ($3.275) and stronger overhead supply at 0.618 ($3.662). Price remains capped below both levels, keeping short-term momentum tilted to the downside.
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On the downside, 0.236 support at $3.036 is the key level to watch. A daily close below $3.036 would likely trigger continuation toward $2.650. If bearish momentum continues to build, an extension to $2.500 becomes a high-probability move. The 0.98 correlation with BTC adds risk, suggesting INJ is highly likely to mirror any further Bitcoin weakness.
For bulls to regain control, the price must reclaim $3.275 and establish acceptance above that level. A decisive daily close above $3.662 would confirm a structural shift, opening upside targets at $3.937 and $4.287. The bearish thesis is invalidated on a strong close above $3.662; until then, downside continuation toward $2.650 remains the dominant bias.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Another one of the altcoins to watch in February is BCH, which is trading at $558.3 after a strong relief bounce from $423.0, successfully reclaiming the 0.786 Fib at $541.8. Price is now pressing into the 1.0 retracement at $574.1, which stands as immediate overhead resistance. The broader structure suggests recovery from prior distribution, but bulls still need follow-through to confirm a sustained trend reversal.
The 0.786 level at $541.8 now acts as near-term pivot support. A daily close below $541.8 shifts momentum back to the downside, exposing $516.4 (0.618) and then $480.7 (0.382). MFI sits at 57.12, reflecting constructive but not overextended momentum. If sellers regain control, $458.7 (0.236) becomes the next logical downside liquidity target.
For bullish continuation, BCH must secure acceptance above $574.1 on a daily closing basis. A confirmed breakout opens upside extension targets at $609.8 (1.236), $631.8 (1.382), and $649.6 (1.5). The bullish thesis is invalidated on a decisive close below $516.4. The February 17 Bitcoin Cash Toronto meetup will dive deep into BCH’s tech and the major improvements coming with the LAYLA upgrade this May. This could act as a catalyst for recovery.
Crypto World
Binance co-founder CZ echoes Consensus panelists on lack of privacy blocking crypto adoption
Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao warns crypto’s lack of privacy blocks everyday adoption, echoing CoinDesk Consensus Hong Kong panelists who called it a barrier to widespread institutional use.
Blockchain’s total transparency gets hyped as the ultimate democratization middle finger to shady banks and Wall Street fat cats operating in the dark. But here’s the catch: it means anyone globally can snoop on your send amounts, wallet balances, and deals.
Picture wiring your salary or sealing a big business move that has the whole world reading every digit – not desirable, right?
That’s precisely the issue here. Crypto’s been screaming for Main Street and Wall Street adoption for years, yet this same “killer feature” of zero privacy is slamming the brakes hard.
“(Lack of) Privacy may [be] the missing link for crypto payments adoption. Imagine, a company pays employees in crypto on-chain. With the current state of crypto, you can pretty much see how much everyone in the company is paid (by clicking the from address),” CZ said on X on Sunday.
Institutions share that concern
Fabio Frontini, chief executive officer of Abraxas Capital Management, highlighted the need for privacy in large institutional transactions if the use of public blockchains on Wall Street is to become the norm.
“The privacy—especially for large transactions—is the key point, I think, particularly for institutional players,” says Abraxas Capital Management CEO Fabio Frontini. “Total transparency isn’t particularly good. Actually, you want transactions to be auditable and visible, but only to certain people who should know exactly who’s behind them,” Frontini said during the panel “The 2026 Outlook: The Institutional Market Cycle,” in Hong Kong last week.
Frontini was responding to a question about when institutional use of blockchain to issue traditional instruments like commercial paper will go from an experimental stunt to an everyday norm. Wall Street giant JPMorgan tested these waters in December by arranging a landmark $50 million U.S. commercial paper issuance for Galaxy Digital Holdings LP on the Solana blockchain.
Coinbase Global and Franklin Templeton snapped it up, with issuance and redemption settled in Circle’s USDC stablecoin for near-instant delivery-versus-payment. JPMorgan handled structuring and on-chain token creation, while Galaxy Digital Partners LLC acted as the structuring agent.
The landmark deal highlighted the use of public blockchains like Solana for tokenizing debt, but also exposed the lack of transparency.
Emma Lovett, the credit lead for the Markets Distributed Ledger Technology team at JP Morgan, who was one of the panelists, stressed that institutions won’t shift massive assets on-chain at scale until they can trust the system won’t expose them.
“They need to be confident that it’s not going to take one person to find out what their address is and then know all the transactions they’ve done—that’s really key,” Lovett said.
Thomas Restout, group CEO of institutional-grade liquidity provider B2C2, agreed that privacy is key while highlighting “certainty of execution” as another key factor.
“It’s still a space that institutions aren’t comfortable with. They also need partners. You look at other chains that have gone private and are developing a lot for institutions. So if you’re a large institution, you always have to imagine that you’re not going to try this for $10,000—you’re going to have to do this for $10 trillion. And therefore, the level of certainty you need to achieve to operate at that scale is very high,” he explained.
Crypto markets are heading into a potentially volatile week as investors brace for the U.S. Supreme Court’s tariff decision scheduled for Feb. 20.
Summary
- Crypto markets are bracing for volatility ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Feb. 20 tariff decision, which could influence broader risk sentiment and dollar strength.
- The total crypto market cap remains below its 50-day and 200-day SMAs, signaling a corrective structure, while RSI suggests selling pressure is easing.
- A weakening U.S. Dollar Index could support a short-term crypto rebound, with Bitcoin showing relative resilience and Ethereum more sensitive to macro shifts.
The ruling could determine the legality or scope of contested trade measures, a development that may ripple across equities, commodities, foreign exchange and, increasingly, digital assets.
U.S. Supreme Court tariff decision looms over risk assets
Tariff decisions tend to influence broader macro sentiment rather than crypto directly. In past episodes of trade tension, markets initially reacted with a risk-off tone, strengthening the U.S. dollar and pressuring equities.
Crypto has historically responded in two phases: an immediate liquidity-driven pullback alongside other risk assets, followed by a divergence when investors rotate toward alternative stores of value.
During earlier trade escalations, Bitcoin fell in tandem with stocks before stabilizing as dollar strength faded. The key transmission channel has often been the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY).
A stronger dollar tightens global liquidity, which can weigh on speculative assets such as cryptocurrencies. Conversely, dollar weakness has tended to support risk appetite.
With markets already fragile after a volatile start to February, the Feb. 20 ruling could act as a catalyst rather than a standalone trigger.
Crypto market prediction
From a technical standpoint, the crypto total market cap (TOTAL) sits near $2.32 trillion after a sharp early-February decline toward the $2.1 trillion region. The daily RSI is hovering in the mid-30s, recovering from near-oversold territory, suggesting selling pressure is easing but momentum remains weak.
More notably, TOTAL remains below both its 50-day SMA (around $2.82 trillion) and 200-day SMA (near $3.37 trillion). This indicates the broader structure is still corrective. Unless price reclaims the 50-day average, rallies may face resistance near the $2.6–$2.8 trillion zone.
In contrast, the U.S. Dollar Index is trading around 96.9, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The downward slope of those averages signals continued dollar weakness.
If DXY extends lower following the Supreme Court decision, it could provide breathing room for crypto to attempt a relief rally.
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) performance will be critical. According to the latest data, Bitcoin continues to command the largest market share and has shown relative resilience compared to the broader altcoin market. BTC was trading at $68,459 at press time, down nearly 3% in the last 24 hours.
Ethereum, while stabilizing near $2,000, remains more sensitive to risk sentiment shifts. If Bitcoin holds key support while ETH regains momentum, it may signal improving internal strength.
Heading into Feb. 20, three scenarios stand out: a risk-off spike that briefly pressures crypto, a relief rally if dollar weakness continues, or choppy consolidation as traders await clarity.
With TOTAL near support and DXY trending lower, the market appears poised for a volatility expansion rather than a quiet reaction.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has outlined plans to bring AI chatbots under stricter online safety rules, warning that emerging technologies are reshaping childhood in ways policymakers can no longer ignore.
Summary
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled plans to extend online safety laws to cover AI chatbots used by children.
- The government is concerned about risks including inappropriate content, emotional dependency and unregulated AI-generated advice.
- A public consultation will examine new regulatory powers to ensure AI tools operating in the United Kingdom are safe for minors.
AI chatbots could soon fall under tighter UK rules aimed at protecting minors
In a recent Substack update, Starmer said protections for young people must evolve alongside rapidly advancing artificial intelligence tools. While much of the debate around online harm has focused on social media, he argued that AI-powered chatbots now pose new and complex risks, particularly for children and teenagers.
Starmer said the government in the United Kingdom is considering extending existing online safety laws to explicitly cover AI systems. Chatbots are increasingly embedded in apps, search engines and standalone platforms, often engaging users in highly personalised, human-like conversations.
For young users, he warned, that can blur the line between information, influence and manipulation.
The Prime Minister pointed to concerns ranging from exposure to inappropriate content to emotional dependency and unchecked advice. Unlike traditional platforms, AI systems can generate responses in real time, making oversight and moderation more difficult.
He suggested Parliament may need new regulatory powers to respond quickly as the technology develops.
Starmer framed the issue as part of a broader effort to “give children the space to grow” without being shaped by opaque algorithms or unregulated digital systems. He stressed that innovation should not come at the expense of safety, and that tech companies must take greater responsibility for how their tools are designed and deployed.
A public consultation is expected to examine how best to regulate AI-driven services used by minors. Once evidence is gathered, Starmer said the government would move swiftly to act, signalling that AI chatbots are likely to become a central focus of the UK’s next phase of online safety reform.
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![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
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