LONDON — The UK government is considering imposing new restrictions on social media use for children, which could include requiring parents to give permission for those under the age of 16 to access social platforms. However, some child safety advocates, who would be expected to support such measures, are expressing hesitation, while others are questioning the feasibility of implementing this policy.
Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer and founder of the 5Rights Foundation, noted that automatically excluding children from social media might not be the best solution. Kidron, who played an active role in campaigning for child online safety during the development of the UK’s Online Safety Act, suggested that instead of introducing new measures, the government should focus on implementing existing ones.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the Molly Rose Foundation, a prominent organization calling for child online safety protections. While they agree that additional measures are necessary, they believe that the emphasis should be on strengthening the regulator’s authority to ensure social media platforms are not flooded with avoidable risks.
Andy Burrows, an advisor to the Molly Rose Foundation, criticized the proposal as a vague consultation that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Although Downing Street did not provide detailed commentary on the matter, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring children’s safety online and dismissed the notion that the government seeks to ban things for the sake of it.
Science Minister Andrew Griffith acknowledged that more action could be taken to protect children online during an interview with Sky News.
Unsurprisingly, the tech industry’s response has been mixed. Some representatives expressed a sense of familiarity, believing that such proposals are repetitive and lack enforceability. They questioned the practicality of confirming the age of minors and the identification of parents on social media platforms.
Comparable measures have already been implemented in France, where a law was passed in June requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for individuals under 15 years old.
Many social media platforms intended for children already have age restrictions, typically prohibiting users under the age of 13. However, these restrictions are primarily based on self-certification, which means that children can easily falsify their birthdates.
A recent report published by the UK regulatory body Ofcom highlighted that despite efforts by platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, and Snapchat to identify and remove underage accounts and restrict access to adult content, children can still be exposed to inappropriate material.
The Online Safety Act in the UK already requires social media platforms to implement effective age estimation or verification techniques, rendering self-declaration inadequate. Ofcom is expected to begin consulting on this aspect of the legislation early next year.
Child safety campaigners still see the Online Safety Act as a positive step and hope it will bring about robust measures. They urge the prime minister to have confidence in the legislation while allocating sufficient resources and political will to ensure a digital environment that is safe for children.
As the UK government plans to review evidence on the potential harm social media poses to children next year, discussions around implementing further restrictions and protection mechanisms are set to continue.
In conclusion, the UK government’s proposal to impose tighter restrictions on social media use for children has sparked mixed reactions. While some child safety campaigners are cautious about automatically excluding kids from social platforms, others emphasize the need for stronger regulation and measures that prioritize protecting children from online risks. The tech industry has expressed doubts about the feasibility and enforceability of the proposed policy. The implementation of similar measures in France and existing age restrictions on social media platforms highlight the ongoing efforts to address child safety concerns online. However, concerns about verifying age and identifying parents remain a significant consideration. As the UK government proceeds with its review and potential consultation on social media’s impact on children, the conversation surrounding child online safety continues to evolve.
