Limit social media ban for under-16s to unsafe apps, Starmer urged

"We are asking you to act now to require tech platforms to meet strict safety standards to continue to offer their services to under-16s, they wrote in a letter to the prime minister. We believe a binary debate between banning children from social media or not can oversimplify what is a complex issue. Instead, platforms' continued ability to offer accounts and services to children should be made conditional on their ability to demonstrate that they are safe."

"The NSPCC, Molly Rose Foundation and Smartphone Free Childhood said tech platforms should not be allowed to offer risky features to teenagers such as infinite scrolling, disappearing messages and push notifications. We are asking you to act now to require tech platforms to meet strict safety standards to continue to offer their services to under-16s, they wrote in a letter to the prime minister."

"In Australia, where access to apps including Instagram and TikTok is restricted for under-16s, age limitations are imposed if a service enables social interaction between two or more users, and if it allows users to post material. Instead, UK campaigners are calling for a system that limits access to platforms based on whether they are safe or not."

"The consultation is also seeking views on whether to restrict features such as livestreaming and location sharing. The government has already pledged to take some form of action as a result of the consultation. The campaigners expect apps to be vetted before they can be accessed by under-16s. New features would also undergo safety checks before they are launched."

Online safety campaigners urged Keir Starmer to require social media platforms to meet strict safety standards before allowing under-16s access, rather than adopting a broad Australia-style ban. The NSPCC, Molly Rose Foundation, and Smartphone Free Childhood said platforms should not be permitted to offer risky features to teenagers, including infinite scrolling, disappearing messages, and push notifications. They called for continued access to be conditional on demonstrating safety, with apps vetted before under-16s can use them and new features checked before launch. Australia restricts access for under-16s and imposes age limits when services enable social interaction or posting. The request came before a UK government consultation on online safety measures, including possible under-16 restrictions and limits on livestreaming and location sharing, with Ofcom overseeing the Online Safety Act.

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