Sharon Hodgson MP: Labour Government act to keep our children safe online
Measuring the success of any government is subjective. But looking at how a country keeps its children safe, must be an important indication.
Last week, this Labour Government announced that under-16s will be banned from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube, taking effect from early 2027. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp are excluded.
This announcement came following the government’s consultation which had been ongoing since the start of the year. This gave children and adults the opportunity to respond to what they think should happen in relation to children’s use of social media.
The results spoke loud and clear unveiling an unwavering public demand for action: it found that 90% of parents support a complete ban on social media for under-16s. It further highlighted that two-thirds of young people agreed that under-16s should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.
Concerns overall were linked to mental health, bullying, addiction and exposure to inappropriate and sexualised content. These systemic online harms are negatively impacting our children and making them unhappier.
The government’s response aims to tackle online harms by viewing it through a safeguarding and public health lens. This is about proactive regulation and protections designed to protect our children from addiction and unhappiness.
Clearly this issue transcends beyond political and partisan divisions. This is about protecting our children and holding tech giants to account in an age which is becoming more digitally complex and dangerous. This both deserves and commands cross-party commitment.
Children deserve the freedom to enjoy their childhood. They deserve to be present in the world around them and truly be able to form connections with others in such formative years, beyond the screen held firm in their hands. Online harms are one of the greatest challenges of our time, but one that this Government has acted at pace to tackle.
We have learned from our partners in Australia to strengthen models used internationally to provide not just a ban on social media for under-16s, but to also consult on restrictions for 16 and 17-year-olds too, preventing young people being exposed to online harms as they come into adulthood.
With any ban or restriction comes difficulty; everyone will be under no illusion that some under the age of 18 find ways to drink alcohol despite the law saying otherwise. But just because one 17-year-old finds ways to buy alcohol does not mean we should lift restrictions on alcohol. The same is true for this social media ban; the evidence suggests it will work in a vast majority of cases, and the Government is committed to improving upon restrictions as tech adapts to these changes.
Just because a policy may be difficult to navigate, does not mean we should shy away from difficult decisions. This should be even more reason as to why we must get this right and do the best we can for our children to ensure they get both the childhood and future that they wholeheartedly deserve.