UK says a new law banning social media for under-16s is 'on the table'

The British government is considering banning children from using social media as part of the country’s efforts to address the impact of the online world on young people’s wellbeing.

Setting out his priorities on Wednesday for the online safety regulator Ofcom, Peter Kyle, the government’s technology secretary, announced a new study on the effects social media has on under-16s.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Kyle said an Australian-style ban was “on the table” but that more evidence was needed to show whether the move would be beneficial.

It comes as Ofcom prepares to implement and enforce the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act next year. The law aims to force technology companies to tackle harmful online activities, but has prompted significant controversy particularly around its provisions on end-to-end encryption.

The priorities set out by Kyle are a way of directing the independent regulator to focus on what the government has identified as key issues. They include ensuring that online platforms are designed to be safe for children, and tackling illegal content including fraud.

“From baking safety into social media sites from the outset, to increasing platform transparency, these priorities will allow us to monitor progress, collate evidence, innovate, and act where laws are coming up short,” said Kyle.

“We’re also firing the starting gun on research which will help build the evidence base we need to keep children safe online. I am committed to using all the tools at our disposal from monitoring the impact of new laws, creating more and better evidence, and working with online safety campaigners and charities to achieve this goal,” he added.

The new research project into the impact of smartphones and social media on children follows a review in 2019 by the country’s Chief Medical Officer, which found there was an insufficient evidence base to make an assessment about their impact on children’s mental health.

“The project will improve policy makers' understanding of the relationship between children’s wellbeing and smartphone use and help direct future government action,” stated the government.

The Online Safety Act is a 225-page law covering an enormous range of online activities. It introduces several new safety and security requirements on platforms that include preventing children from accessing inappropriate content such as pornography through a legal demand on platforms to verify users’ ages.

Platforms are also required to protect content that is of democratic importance, or is journalistic, as the legislation defines, and companies are required to tackle fraudulent advertising and report child sexual abuse material to the National Crime Agency. 

Businesses that fail to comply could be fined up to £18 million ($22.3 million) or 10% of their global turnover, potentially stretching to billions for the largest platforms.