Government vows to bring in under-16 social media restrictions by end of year
Summary
The UK government plans to introduce new rules for social media use by children under 16 by the end of this year. They are considering options like bans, age checks, and feature restrictions to improve online safety, based on feedback from a recent public consultation.Key Facts
- The government consultation on social media restrictions for under-16s closes soon, with a response expected this summer.
- Possible measures include banning social media for children under 16, night-time curfews, disabling auto-play, and stronger age verification.
- The government is reviewing platforms like Roblox and Discord that are not covered by Australia's under-16 social media ban.
- Over 70,000 people and groups have shared their views during the consultation.
- Police and bereaved families support stricter rules or bans to protect children from harmful content.
- Some experts worry that bans may not work well, citing problems with enforcement seen in Australia's law.
- Child safety charities want social media rules similar to film age ratings to better protect teenagers.
- Senior UK doctors have raised concerns that social media harms young people’s health, comparing it to smoking in seriousness.
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