Four senior UK police officers have called on the government to ban children under 16 from social media, claiming the platforms are “fuelling and enabling” crime. The officers, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on rape and serious sexual offences, Sarah Crew, argue that further controls are necessary for public safety, national security, and young people’s mental health.
Crew described social media as giving perpetrators a “direct channel” to exploit children, likening the current situation to the “American west in the 1850s” with little regulation. She called for a coordinated response similar to the Covid pandemic. Maggie Blyth, acting chief constable of Gloucestershire, said social media is “a significant threat” and cited young people acting out violence seen online, such as strangulation.
Tim De Meyer of Surrey police said a ban for under-16s is an “absolute no-brainer”, while Matt Jukes, police head of counter-terrorism, noted that 20% of those arrested for terrorist offences last year were children, attributing this to online radicalisation. He said the Online Safety Act is “not sufficient”. Former assistant commissioner Neil Basu also backed a ban, dismissing arguments that violent imagery does not lead to violence.
However, a United Nations study found “no clear evidence” that social media leads to more violent behaviour, stating that radicalisation involves multiple factors. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said earlier this year that “nothing can be off the table” regarding a potential ban.
