In an effort to protect children online, the U.K. is considering initiating a social media ban in line with a similar ban already in place in Australia.
Ministers were originally opposed to such a ban, but with pressure from backbenchers and campaigners, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (pictured) has softened on the ban and launched a consultation. The proposed ban would see under-16s locked out of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
In an open letter to Starmer, 61 Members of Parliament complained that previous governments had done “too little to protect young people from… unregulated, addictive social media platforms.” Starmer has said “all options are on the table” where a full Australia-type ban is concerned, although it will have to go to the vote.
“Across our constituencies, we hear the same message: children are anxious, unhappy, and unable to focus on learning,” said the letter. “They are not building the social skills needed to thrive, nor having the experience that will prepare them for adulthood.” The MPs noted that Denmark, France, Greece, Norway and New Zealand are also proposing getting children off social media.
Ban or no ban, Starmer said he wants to make U.K. schools “phone-free” by default. The government said it will offer official guidance to parents on how to impose limits on their children’s screen time and may introduce a curfew period for social media use. “We need to do more to protect children,” Starmer said today.
The consultation will look at if a ban will even work. It will assess how effective age verification technology is, and what age is appropriate for allowing young people full access to social media. It will also explore how to combat addictive scrolling and other addictive behaviors regarding digital technology.
“Technology has huge potential – to create jobs, transform public services and improve lives,” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said in a statement. “But we will only seize on that potential if people know they and their children are safe online. We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them, and to give every child the childhood they deserve.”
Photo: Flickr
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