A social media ban for under-16s is “not on the cards at the moment”, a minister has said, as teenagers urged him to rethink plans to follow Australia’s lead and restrict access to sites such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
Peter Kyle, secretary of state for science and technology, is trying to convince social media platforms to do more to prevent online harm, with new laws coming into force next year that could result in hefty fines and even jail time. in cases where online security is a risk. broken.
He told The Guardian: “At the moment there is no working program to ban smartphones for children,” adding: “It’s not my preferred option.”
His comments came as he met a group of teenagers at the NSPCC headquarters in London on Thursday. Children’s hotline operators answer about 10 calls a day from children who suffer harm on social networks.
The panel of teenagers complained about the addictive nature of the platforms and difficulties getting help when their accounts were hacked and reporting content that made them feel uncomfortable or distressed. However, none of them called for a ban, and they warned Kyle that imposing one would reduce his social connections, his access to support, and his safety. Some said teens would find a way to beat the ban, as they have with vaping.
Kyle’s comments earlier this week that a ban was “on the table” sparked concern among teens. Kyle goes on to say that he does not rule out a ban in the future, depending on the evidence on its effectiveness, even if one is implemented in Australia, where the legislation is making its way through parliament.
“I’m in touch with the Australian government to see what they’re basing it on, if anything, and why they’re doing it,” he said.
He said the main risk he was concerned about addressing was the death of children as a result of social media. “I have met parents of children who have committed suicide or the murder has been instigated through online activities,” he said. “I get a lot of parents writing to me saying ‘just keep this kit out of my kids’ hands.'”
after newsletter promotion
He said he was impressed by the pace of improvement in age verification software and said that if it was at least 70% accurate in a year, “that would keep 70% of children safe from inappropriate content online.”