🚨🚨 SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR UNDER 16s
It has now been confirmed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, that the social media ban for under-16s will come into force in March 2027.
We know this ban will not work. In Australia, from where the UK has taken its lead, children have circumvented the ban by using VPNs.
The UK Government also considered announcing a VPN ban, only to later perform a U-turn and put the idea on ice. If it does go ahead, the UK would join the same league as North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Turkmenistan.
Increasingly, children are using social media sites and YouTube to access news and educational material. The Government is also pushing through plans in the Representation of the People Bill to give 16-year-olds the vote.
How can we realistically expect a 16-year-old to make an informed decision at the ballot box if they do not have access to journalistic content and material of democratic importance online?
The Government has failed to explain how its proposal can be reconciled with its duties under the Online Safety Act to protect content of democratic importance and journalistic content.
At the Free Speech Union, we warned when these plans were unveiled earlier this year that a selective ban would leave Ofcom tasked with enforcing the political preferences of whichever Government is in power.
At its most basic, a left-wing Government could target X while protecting Bluesky, while a right-wing Government could protect X and turn its sights on Bluesky.
While we all want to ensure that children are protected online, the Government must not stray beyond its intended aim. Given its track record and the scope creep of the Online Safety Act, we have very little hope that it will.