Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated that technology companies have had "more than enough time to get their house in order," ahead of a government announcement on Monday regarding new restrictions on social media for teenagers. Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy warned that if firms are unwilling to ensure their products are safe, they "lose the right to market their products towards children."
The proposed measures, reported by The Times, could include a ban on under-16s using certain social media platforms and a potential curfew for older teenagers. However, campaigner Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died after viewing harmful content online, expressed dismay at the reports. He suggested the policy had been "rushed" for political reasons by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of "gambling with young people's lives."
Nandy declined to pre-empt the prime minister's announcement but emphasized that the focus is on "how, not whether, we better protect children online." She noted that the majority of responses to the government's consultation supported a ban for under-16s and highlighted the Australian ban as evidence of changing cultural norms, where younger children no longer assume they will use social media.
"Tech companies have had more than enough time to get their own house in order and to be able to create products that keep children safe online," Nandy added. "If they are not prepared to do it, they lose the right frankly to market their products towards children."
Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge acknowledged the challenge of regulating fast-moving technology but supported a social media ban as "the right thing to do." In March, the government launched a public consultation exploring measures such as disabling addictive features like infinite scrolling and introducing mandatory overnight curfews.
While Australia banned children under 16 from platforms including Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok last year, some UK children's charities, such as the Molly Russell Foundation and the NSPCC, oppose a similar ban in Britain.