UK is considering a social media ban for kids

The United Kingdom has launched a consultation on the use of social media by children under a certain age. The government says it wants to protect the children’s well-being and improve their online experiences.

“A consultation will identify the next steps in the government’s plan to boost children’s well-being online, ensuring they have a healthy relationship with mobile phones and social media,” the government says in a public statement.

The goal of the government’s efforts is to offer every child in the UK “the best start in life.” But before implementing any new laws, the government is seeking the views of parents, children, and civil society organizations on the use of technology by children through a series of events.

These events will take place in a nationwide tour and will be hosted in the coming days. The government will respond to the consultation during the Summer.

During the consultation, the government wants to discuss a plethora of topics, including how to determine the right minimum age for children to access social media, a potential ban of social media for children “under a certain age,” explore how to implement better age checks so children can access suitable, harmless content, and restrictions on addictive features, such as infinite scrolling.

“Technology has huge potential to create jobs, transform public services, and improve lives. But we will only seize on that potential if people know they and their children are safe online. We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them, and to give every child the childhood they deserve,” Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, says in a statement.

There have long been calls in the UK for a social media ban for children. This Wednesday, the British Parliament will vote on a bill by the Conservative Party, proposing a social media ban for children under the age of 16. Members of the ruling Labour Party also support such a ban in the UK.

Last weekend, 61 Labour MPs published an open letter on X supporting a social media ban modeled after Australia’s minimum age restriction rules for social media.

In the EU, there’s been an ongoing debate on how to protect minors from harmful content on social media and the internet. France has introduced a bill aimed at banning children under the age of 15 from using social media.

There have been discussions in the Netherlands as well. Over 1,400 experts have called on the Dutch government to set an age limit for the use of social media.