New Delhi: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s UK government is considering measures to limit social media access for children under 16, which may involve potential bans, as per media reports.
Ministers are considering launching a consultation in January to gather information on the potential risks children face when using social media. The individuals providing this information preferred to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the discussions.
Discussions on this matter are in the early stages, and the proposed policy may not be pursued. Although bans are being considered, sources suggest they might not be part of the final plan. Measures such as improved parental controls or other alternatives have not been ruled out, according to one source.
“We are looking broadly at this issue of keeping children safe online,” Sunak’s spokeswoman, Camilla Marshall, told reporters at a regular briefing Thursday, declining to comment on specific measures under consideration.
The Online Safety Act has been recently enacted in the UK to enhance the accountability of companies providing user-to-user services, imposing obligations for the protection of people—especially children—online. This includes requirements for age verification.
In the meantime, the National Crime Agency has issued a caution to British parents regarding permitting their children on Facebook. This comes after concerns were raised about the safety implications of Meta Platform Inc’s introduction of encrypted messaging. On Thursday, Damian Hinds, the school’s minister, called on Meta to “rethink its decision.”
“It’s not about protecting people’s privacy,” Hinds told Times Radio. “This is really a question about the ability to intercept and to ultimately investigate, bring to justice people who are engaging in child abuse.”
Sunak is scheduled to participate in Giorgia Meloni’s political party convention in Rome on Saturday, an event where Elon Musk is also expected to be present. Despite Sunak and Musk recently sharing a stage at the UK’s AI safety summit, sources suggest that there are no arrangements for the prime minister to engage in any official discussions with the owner of the social networking company X, formerly known as Twitter.