Social media ban for under-16s ‘on the table’ says UK government

[Pelican Press 0]

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Social media ban for under-16s ‘on the table’ says *** government

A possible ban on social media for under-16s in the *** is “on the table”, the technology secretary Peter Kyle has told the BBC.

Speaking on the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, he said he would “do what it takes” to keep people and in particular children safe online.

He also announced further research into the impact tech such as smartphones and social media was having on young people, claiming there was currently “no firm, peer-reviewed evidence”.

Kyle has

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in what he called a “letter of strategic intent” to the regulator Ofcom, which is assuming

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(OSA).

Campaign group the Molly Rose Foundation welcomed what it called an “important marker for Ofcom to be bolder” but said that should not obscure the fact that the OSA needed to be strengthened.

“Our research is clear. The public and parents back an updated Act that embeds an overarching duty of care on tech firms, and the Prime Minister must act quickly and decisively to deliver this unfinished job,” it

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.

The idea of legally restricting social media for young people has come into the spotlight after

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to ban children under 16 from social media.

Asked whether the *** would follow suit, Kyle said “everything is on the table with me”, but said he wanted to see more evidence first.

He said he was also focused on making sure the powers contained in the OSA, which is coming into effect next year, were used “assertively” by the regulator.

“I just want to make sure that Ofcom knows that government expects them to be used,” he told the BBC.

The OSA demands tech firms take more responsibility for the content on their platforms to protect children from some legal but harmful material.

Kyle said he wanted to see evidence that tech firms were delivering suitable age verification for users, and that the sector was moving towards having “safety baked in from the outset.”

Social media and messaging platforms could face significant fines potentially measured in the billions if they do not comply with the OSA.

It has already led to a range of companies introducing significant changes to how they work – with

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in September, and

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in November.

Nonetheless, critics have consistently said the government needs to do more.

The mother

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told the BBC it did not go far enough in February.

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#Social #media #ban #under16s #table #government

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