Thank you to everyone who has written to me about keeping young people safe online. I wanted to update you on the government’s announcement this week of a ban on social media for under-16s, and a number of other measures to keep young people safe online.
This is a hugely important issue to me, and last year I launched a survey of constituents in East Thanet to get your views, and to ask you what you believed should be done to keep young people safe online and hold tech giants to account. More than 90% of respondents agree that social media is currently causing more harm than good for young people, and participants overwhelmingly backed banning under-16s from social media, as has recently been done in Australia.
For too long, parents have been left battling social media companies that profit from keeping young people glued to their screens, often exposing them to harmful content, online bullying, and addictive algorithms. My survey showed that there is deep concern across East Thanet about the impact this is having on children’s wellbeing, mental health, and development, and a strong call for action.
I therefore welcome the government’s announcement that from spring next year social media platforms will be banned from allowing under-16s to access their platforms. The proposed rules would apply to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X (Twitter), and YouTube.
I have pushed the government to act in other areas beyond a ban, so I am glad they have listened and will also be introducing blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and communicating with strangers online for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.
Restrictions on these functionalities will also become the default for 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. So-called ‘romantic chatbots’ will also have to enforce strict over-18s policies. You can read more details about everything that’s been announced by clicking here.
More details will be published in due course, and I will be looking closely at how the enforcement of these measures will work. It is vital that it is tech companies that are accountable for delivering these new rules and keeping young people safe. I want to ensure that these new laws ensure children have the chance to learn to navigate the online world sensibly, while we explore further how to protect everyone from the harms of disinformation and hate online.
This announcement follows the news last week that the government will also be forcing phone manufacturers to prevent young people from taking, sharing, or viewing intimate images. According to experts, 90% of child sexual abuse imagery online was taken by young people themselves, often after they have been groomed or pressured into taking such images by adults. It is shocking that the tech giants have not yet acted to prevent this, when they already have the technological means to do so.
Keeping young people safe online is hugely important to me, and I remain deeply concerned that Reform UK have committed to scrapping the Online Safety Act and dragging us back to the ‘wild west’ of an unregulated internet that leaves young people vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. That is something I will continue to strongly oppose as the MP for East Thanet.
So please rest assured that I will continue to stand up for action to keep people safe online and to hold the tech giants to account for the harm they cause.