The Government intends to put forward its proposals to restrict social media for under-16s by the summer, with plans to legislate before the end of the year, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has confirmed.
Speaking to the Press Association, Kendall stated that “it’s not a question of whether we act, but how” when addressing the content under-16s are exposed to online and the time they spend on screens. This follows the Government’s announcement late Monday that it will introduce “age or functionality restrictions” on social media for under-16s.
Consultation and measures
The ongoing consultation on young people’s access to social media considers a range of measures, including age restrictions and curfews. Kendall noted that it also examines age restrictions on features like “doom-scrolling.” After her speech on AI sovereignty at the Royal United Services Institute in central London, she said: “I intend to come forward with our proposals before the summer, and I would like to legislate by the end of the year.”
She described the consultation as “one of the broadest of any country,” adding that it explores not only age restrictions on accessing social media but also on features such as endless doom-scrolling and overnight curfews.
Calls for Australian-style ban
There have been widespread calls for an Australian-style ban on children’s social media use, though questions remain about its effectiveness. On Tuesday, Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, told the Education Select Committee that the UK could learn from Australia and implement a better ban for under-16s. “I think that Australia’s ban has been successful in some ways, though we need to wait longer to see full success. But that doesn’t mean we have to delay, and I think we could do it better,” she said.
Peers have voted four times to press the Commons into accepting a social media ban. Education Minister Olivia Bailey told MPs Monday night that the Government had listened and would impose restrictions for children under 16.
Government commitment
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Tuesday morning that the Government will “absolutely” act on addictive features. “But if we’re to take action, and we will, then we need to get it right. I don’t want to be coming back here in a year or two saying ‘actually what we’ve put forward hasn’t been effective and we need to look again’,” she said. “We need to design something that stands the test of time, that commands the confidence of parents and campaigners and genuinely works.”
The concession followed pressure from the House of Lords, led by Tory former education minister Lord Nash. He described the Government’s move as “a huge step forward for our children’s safety online” and thanked bereaved parents who campaigned alongside him.
Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told tech bosses from X, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Google that changes were urgently needed.
