Lead

The UK government is considering new online safety measures for children, including a possible ban on under-16s accessing social media apps, as a public consultation on the issue draws to a close. The consultation, which closed last week, is also seeking views on restricting features such as livestreaming and location sharing, with ministers pledging to act on its findings.

Coverage comparison

Reports from The Guardian describe a government weighing multiple approaches. One article notes that the online safety minister, Kanishka Narayan, spent a week in Australia learning the “practical lessons” of that country’s under-16s social media ban, amid concern that many teenagers are bypassing the law. Narayan told the Guardian that Australia had been a “pioneer” in the space and that the UK would learn from its lead, adding: “One benefit of going second is that we learn some practical implementation lessons.”

The Guardian also reports that online safety campaigners, including the NSPCC, the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), and Smartphone Free Childhood, have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to block under-16s from accessing social media apps that do not meet strict safety standards, rather than implementing a broader Australia-style ban. In a letter to the prime minister, the groups wrote: “We are asking you to act now to require tech platforms to meet strict safety standards to continue to offer their services to under-16s.”

Another Guardian article highlights the view of Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose Foundation, who is not in favour of a blanket under-16s ban for major platforms, believing it would form a “cliff edge” that would expose teenagers to harmful content on unreformed platforms as soon as they are old enough. Russell has instead come out in support of a more nuanced approach where platforms that do not meet strict safety standards would be blocked to under-16s, with teenagers allowed to access “safe” apps.

Key claims

  • The UK government is consulting on children’s online safety, including whether there should be an under-16s ban, as reported by The Guardian. The consultation is also seeking views on restricting features such as livestreaming and location sharing.
  • Australia has a social media ban that restricts access to major platforms for under-16s, as reported by The Guardian. Age limitations are imposed if a service enables social interaction between two or more users, and if it allows users to post material.
  • The UK online safety minister visited Australia to learn from their social media ban, as reported by The Guardian. Narayan said the UK could learn “practical implementation lessons” from Australia’s experience.
  • The Molly Rose Foundation warns that a rushed under-16s social media ban in the UK could unravel and families will be left to count the cost, as reported by The Guardian. MRF chief executive Andy Burrows said a “rushed” ban would “quickly unravel” and was not supported by the evidence.
  • The Online Safety Act requires tech firms to shield children from harmful content, as reported by The Guardian. The act is overseen by the communications watchdog, Ofcom.

Perspectives

The Guardian: The Guardian’s coverage presents a variety of perspectives on the proposed ban, including warnings from the Molly Rose Foundation about the risks of a rushed approach, and support from campaigners for a more nuanced system based on safety standards. The coverage also details the online safety minister’s visit to Australia to learn from its ban, highlighting both the potential benefits and concerns about the ban’s effectiveness.