AI “romantic companion” chatbots will have to enforce a minimum age of 18 and under-16s will be banned from live-streaming themselves and from making contact with strangers, including on gaming platforms. YouTube was among the first companies to criticise the ban.

A spokesperson said: “YouTube is a vital resource for young people, educators and parents. Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences, and towards anonymous, less safe services.”