A UK social media ban for children is on the table. John Swinney, Scotland’s First Minister, has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to adopt an Australia-style ban for young people under sixteen.
According to The Telegraph, Swinney said there was a “strong argument” for this blanket ban. He also said that “much stronger steps” were needed to regulate Big Tech companies.
He also warned that young people were caught up in a “social media storm.” This, he said, could have a “significant effect” on young people’s well-being.
“There are many benefits of social media, but there are also some downsides, and we’ve got to make sure that children and young people are protected in this social media age,” Swinney added.
However, others are unsure about the benefits of such a provision. Joanna Barrett is the associate head of policy at child safety charity the NSPCC.
Speaking to The Telegraph, she said: “The Scottish Government is right to consider what more can be done to protect children online, but our concern is that blanket bans on social media could drive teenagers to less secure, unregulated spaces which may put them at greater risk.”
She continued: “Instead, the onus should be on tech companies to implement robust safety features such as age assurance, content moderation, and child sexual abuse detection tools rather than blunt bans.”
