Labour is expected to announce a crackdown on social media for children within weeks, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowing to act “very, very quickly”. New limits on access could be presented before the Makerfield byelection next month, following analysis of a public consultation that closed on Tuesday. The consultation received over 81,000 responses, including from more than 42,000 parents and nearly 14,000 young people.
Age limits or changes to allegedly addictive design features—or a combination of both—could come into force before the end of the year. The measures could affect platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Roblox and Snapchat. The government is using an AI system called Consult and an expert panel led by a paediatrician to analyse the responses.
However, there are splits between campaigners and child safety experts on the approach. Some leading child protection groups reject a blanket ban like Australia’s under-16 prohibition, fearing an online safety “cliff edge”. School leaders warn that any ban must be supported by wider safety measures to avoid pushing children into less-regulated spaces.
Ministers may settle on requiring tech platforms to prove their products’ features are not damaging to children; if they cannot, the features will be blocked for children. The technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said: “No one’s going to stop me from doing what I think is right.” The online safety minister is in Australia to investigate its under-16 ban.
Starmer on Tuesday met families of young people affected by social media, including Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died after viewing harmful content on Instagram. Russell opposes an Australia-style ban, while Esther Ghey, whose daughter Brianna was murdered, favours an under-16 ban. The Molly Rose Foundation has called for higher minimum joining ages for platforms with riskier features and a duty on tech firms to protect children’s wellbeing.
