Shafaqna English- The UK government plans to go beyond its forthcoming ban on under-16s using high-risk social media platforms, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Guardian, describing the measure as only a “staging post” in a broader drive to make the online environment safer and more accountable.
The ban, due to take effect in March, will cover high-risk platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram, while tighter restrictions will also apply to 16- and 17-year-olds on services featuring infinite scrolling and algorithmically recommended content. The measures will include stronger age-verification requirements.
Nandy argued that the UK government should not accept the ban as the endpoint of its online-safety policy. She called for a more active role for the state in regulating digital spaces and pledged that Britain would seek to become a “pioneer of tech as a force for good,” promoting online environments that are safe, inclusive and empowering.
Comparing social media with public spaces, Nandy questioned why children should have to be removed from platforms altogether rather than having the spaces themselves made safer. She told families who had lost children following online harm that the government intended to begin a new approach in which the state actively shaped digital spaces to protect users.
A government consultation on the under-16 ban received more than 116,000 responses, with 85% of parents saying the risks posed by social media outweighed its benefits.
Nandy also pointed to the government’s willingness to challenge major technology companies. She backed plans to give established broadcasters and media organizations greater prominence on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, acknowledging that the approach could put Britain at odds with the US administration.
She argued that the internet was unique among technologies because it had been largely left to private companies without a significant state role. “It’s not acceptable to outsource this to [X owner Elon] Musk or anybody else,” she said.
Nandy also acknowledged problems with the enforcement of Britain’s Online Safety Act, including concerns over Ofcom’s ability to ensure that technology companies comply with regulations. “Laws are only as good as the ability to enforce them,” she noted.
Source: Guardian