UK could ban under-16s from ‘high risk social media apps’
The UK may ban under-16s from accessing “high-risk” social media apps, according to reports.
The Prime Minister could announce new measures as early as Monday that will ban under-16s from receiving or using disappearing messages, chatting with adult strangers and livestreaming. Guard.
Young people under 18 will reportedly also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots under these regulations, following a consultation to keep children safe online.
The statement comes after tech secretary Liz Kendall said on Thursday that big tech firms “have the chance” to self-regulate in response to FOI data obtained by ITV showing more than 100,000 criminal offenses since 2021, including scores of rapes and assaults, have been linked to social media app Snapchat.
Ms Kendall told ITV: “They’ve had the chance. Over and over again, they’ve had the chance to put this right. The question is not whether we will act, but how we will act.”
He added: “We will put forward our proposals soon… but I think of the parents crying out for help.
“They want to do the right thing, they want to make sure their kids are safe, but it’s really hard to stay on top of all these apps, so I think the reason why parents are so supportive of the ban is because of the simplicity.
“A clear message about expectations.”
The government consultation on children’s online safety, which closed on 26 May, received nearly 120,000 responses, making it the second largest government consultation in history after the 2012 consultation on equal marriage.
The technology secretary has previously said other options, such as an Australian-style ban on under-16s using social media, a curfew or limits on addictive features, were also “on the table”.
Ministers appear to be receptive to the ban after 90 per cent of parents who responded to the consultation said they would support it.
Australia banned social media for under-16s in December last year; This applies to all services that allow users to post material online and interact socially with one or more users. This meant TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and X were banned.
The Molly Rose Foundation’s survey found that despite the ban, the majority of children in Australia still use restricted social media apps. A survey of 1,050 kids ages 12 to 15 found that 53 percent of previous TikTok users, 53 percent of YouTube users and 52 percent of Instagram users still had access to an account on those platforms.
A DSIT spokesman said: “We do not comment on speculation about future announcements.
“We have made it clear that we are determined to act quickly, but we will do so in a way that is effective, actionable and keeps children truly safe.
“As we have said before, we will set out the Government’s response soon and, importantly, we already have the authority to act within months rather than years.”
