UK Considers Social Media Ban for Minors Under 16: A Potential Australia-Style Regime
The UK government has launched a consultation on introducing a social media ban for minors under the age of 16, sparking concerns about online safety and accessibility. The proposed ban would mirror the recent Australian law, which came into effect in December last year.
Under the UK's plan, tech companies would be required to ensure that children cannot access certain platforms or features designed to keep them engaged, such as "infinite scrolling" mechanisms. Parents and young people themselves will have a say in shaping the new regulations through an online survey.
To inform their decision-making process, ministers are set to visit Australia, where they will study the effects of the country's social media ban on children. The move follows the recent shutdown of nearly 550,000 Instagram accounts by Meta, a company that has complied with the Australian law.
The UK's own regulations on online safety have been tightened in recent years, including the passage of the Online Safety Act in 2023. However, despite these efforts, concerns persist among parents about the content their children can access online. As one British politician noted, the new ban is a necessary step to ensure child wellbeing.
The consultation process comes ahead of an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would introduce a social media ban on minors under 16 if it passes through the House of Lords.
The UK government has launched a consultation on introducing a social media ban for minors under the age of 16, sparking concerns about online safety and accessibility. The proposed ban would mirror the recent Australian law, which came into effect in December last year.
Under the UK's plan, tech companies would be required to ensure that children cannot access certain platforms or features designed to keep them engaged, such as "infinite scrolling" mechanisms. Parents and young people themselves will have a say in shaping the new regulations through an online survey.
To inform their decision-making process, ministers are set to visit Australia, where they will study the effects of the country's social media ban on children. The move follows the recent shutdown of nearly 550,000 Instagram accounts by Meta, a company that has complied with the Australian law.
The UK's own regulations on online safety have been tightened in recent years, including the passage of the Online Safety Act in 2023. However, despite these efforts, concerns persist among parents about the content their children can access online. As one British politician noted, the new ban is a necessary step to ensure child wellbeing.
The consultation process comes ahead of an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would introduce a social media ban on minors under 16 if it passes through the House of Lords.
like seriously who doesn't want their kids stuck in some social media vortex, it's crazy how much time those things suck up 
16 is way too young to have a fully functional adult brain lol and i think it's about time we start thinking about the long term effects of all this social media stuff on our mental health 
the fact that they're actually doing something about it instead of just leaving it to the companies is huge 
, but also kinda extreme 
. I mean, I get why parents want their kids to be safe online, but restricting access to whole platforms? That's like locking them in a box 
. What about free speech and autonomy? Don't they deserve some freedom to make mistakes and learn from them?
I'm not saying they won't try, but... I don't know, feels like too much control 
.
. But for now, it just seems like a big overreach 
.
. But do we really need to take away their access to social media altogether? That feels like a pretty drastic measure to me 
. Plus, I'm not sure Australia is exactly the best example to be following 
. Have we really thought this through? 
like whats next? are we gonna have to get permission from parents just to check our own emails 
? i mean i get it, online safety is a big deal and all that but come on who doesnt know how to use the internet by now 
. this ban would be so restrictive its like they dont trust kids at all 
. and whats with the tech companies getting involved in this? like theyre the ones who created these apps in the first place 
- I'm not sure if they'd have done this without them wanting to 
. And studying the Australian law is a great idea 
... who wouldn't want to see how that went over 
.
? And what about all the good stuff kids learn online, like coding and art 
... do we cut off the positive too? 
If we can find a way to make sure kids are protected without completely taking away their internet freedom, that'd be a win in my book 
Maybe there's a middle ground we can find... like, setting age limits for specific features or requiring parents to opt-in for their kids to use certain apps? That way everyone gets a say and the tech companies are still not totally stifled 
. The Australian model could be helpful 
, but we should also look at other countries' approaches 
.
.
#OnlineFreedom #SocialMediaSafety
and what about the bigger picture - is this just about keeping kids safe or are we talking about controlling their online freedom 
but also I think its kinda harsh to ban all social media sites for minors under 16, like wont that just force them into secret world where they're not learning how to navigate the internet responsibly? 
. but still, social media ban? thats a pretty big step 
It's just not practical, is it? And let's be real, most kids are already tech-savvy enough to figure out how to bypass any restrictions. How effective will this ban even be?
. It's all well and good saying we want to protect our kids online, but have we done enough research to actually know what we're doing? 
. Still, I think it's worth exploring ways to keep our kids safe online.