Bereaved parents urge MPs to support social media ban for under-16s
Twenty-three bereaved parents have called on MPs to support a social media ban on under-16s, saying mums and dads “can’t control billion-dollar tech companies from their kitchen tables”.
MPs are set to debate the Lords-backed ban on Monday.
Peers have proposed that under-16s be barred from accessing regulated user-to-user services by default, with effect from 12 months after the Child Welfare and Schools Bill becomes law.
However, the Government proposes to replace this with a wide-ranging, flexible mandate.
The proposal would allow ministers to block or restrict children’s access to “certain internet services”, potentially including bans, curfews or daily time limits on platforms.
A consultation was launched this week to decide on definitive action.
“We write as grieving parents, not as campaigners or politicians,” the parents group said in a statement.
“Our children should be here.
“They should be at school, at home, arguing with their siblings and planning their future.
“Instead, we are left trying to understand how platforms designed and developed by some of the most powerful companies in the world were allowed to access their bedrooms and shape their lives without meaningful protection.”
The group added: “Online security is already discussed at length.
“The harms have been studied extensively and the evidence continues to mount.
“Families live with the consequences every day.”
The bill passed both Houses of Parliament.
But both the House of Commons, where the Government has a majority, and the House of Lords, where it does not have a majority, need to agree on a final draft before it becomes law.
Parents, led by Ellen Roome, warned that tech firms “have extraordinary resources and reach”.
They added: “Every additional delay gives them the opportunity to water down or weaken reforms behind closed doors.
“Meanwhile, children continue to be exposed to products that we know can cause harm.”
Mrs Roome, from Gloucestershire, believes her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died while embarking on an online challenge in 2022.
Also among the signatories were: Esther Ghey, whose 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered by two teenagers; George Nicolaou, father of 15-year-old Christoforos; and Hollie Dance, mother of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee.
Lord Nash, who referred the default ban to the Upper House, had previously said the Government’s proposal amounted to a “blank cheque”.
His Conservative counterpart told the Press Association: “The government’s change confirms that they remain decidedly undecided about how best to protect children.
“In fact, it is clear that raising the age limit for harmful social media platforms to 16 is far from the preferred option.
“MPs must choose on Monday to act now and raise the age limit for harmful social media to 16 or vote for the Government’s amendment, which is essentially a blank cheque and promises only further delay while negotiations continue.
“This consultation is another opportunity for big tech companies to mobilize their lobbyists and water down potential measures before they reach the statute book.”
Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrats’ technology spokesperson, told PA: “It is vital that we have a reset moment for children as we set guidelines to create safe spaces for children to connect with friends, family and learn online.
“But above all we need action, which is why the Liberal Democrats are constantly pressing for a ban on addictive algorithms for under-16s, a doomsday border and a vote to put children ahead of big tech.”
Ms Collins said her party was proposing “a ban on social media that is harmful to under-16s based on movie-style age ratings”.
He described his proposal as a “harm-based approach” to “deploy forward-looking principles to combat a wide range of online harms, from artificial intelligence to games.”
Technology Minister Liz Kendall, who launched the consultation, pledged to “create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future”.
The petition titled “Don’t ban social media for under 16s” on the UK Parliament’s website has collected more than 61,000 signatures.
The petition states, “I think the government should not ban social media for those under 16.”
“This is because for many young people, social media is a means of communicating with their friends.
“Some people see social media as a lifeline, a community, a supportive network.”
Responding earlier this week, a Government spokesman wrote that “short and sharp three months of consultations” would allow ministers to “hear all perspectives, build consensus where possible and then act decisively”.
The spokesman also said: “There will be no delays and the Government will announce our next steps by the summer.”
