Tories would ban under-16s from social media as Kemi Badenoch wins backing from Labour's Andy Burnham for 'bold action' on 'addictive' sites | Retrui News | Retrui
Tories would ban under-16s from social media as Kemi Badenoch wins backing from Labour's Andy Burnham for 'bold action' on 'addictive' sites
SOURCE:Daily Mail
The Tory leader vowed to introduce age limits for social media apps should her party win the next general election.
Kemi Badenoch today said a Conservative government would ban under-16s from social media in order to stop children spending hours on 'addictive' sites.
The Tory leader vowed to introduce age limits for social media apps should her party win the next general election.
She argued children should not be abandoned to the 'wild west' of the internet and called for greater protection for children.
Mrs Badenoch's call will step up pressure on the Labour Government to copy Australia's world-first ban on under-16s using social media.
A major teaching union has demanded the Government introduce similar measures to improve concentration at school and stem damage to children's mental health.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham - seen as a possible replacement for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - praised Mrs Badenoch's comments.
The Labour politician urged all parties at Westminster to work together on 'much bolder action' on the issue.
Australia last month became the first country in the world to ban social media for children with sites ordered to take steps to prevent under-16s accessing accounts.
Kemi Badenoch today said a Conservative government would ban under-16s from social media in order to stop children spending hours on 'addictive' sites
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham- seen as a possible replacement for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer- praised Mrs Badenoch's comments
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube are among those facing fines of up to 49.5million Australian dollars (£24.7million) if they don't comply with new legislation.
Labour ministers have said they will be keeping a 'close eye' on the implementation of Australia's ban, but suggested they will not introduce similar measures in Britain.
Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Mrs Badenoch set out why the Tories are supporting an Australia-style ban.
'What we are seeing is a lot of children spending so many hours a day on platforms that are profiting from their anxiety, from their distraction, and they are actually designed to be addictive,' she said.
'So what we want to see is common sense, protection for children and freedom for adults.
'We want to give parents some understanding that the Government understands what they're going through. So we want to bring in age limits.
'The internet is a wild west, social media in particular.
'We don't think children should be on there, and we want the industry to see the direction of travel so that we can start working with them now in order to get the proper solutions in place.'
In response to the Tory leader's remarks, Mr Burnham posted on X: I find myself agreeing with a lot of what Kemi Badenoch is saying about children and social media.
'It seems to me parents would welcome a cross-party consensus around much bolder action.'
Teachers' union NASUWT wants the Government to bring in legislation that would make big tech platforms prevent children from accessing their sites.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'Teachers are dealing every day with the fallout of a social media landscape not originally designed and not suitable for children.
'Social media companies have shown time and again that they will not act responsibly unless they are forced to do so.
'If we are serious about safeguarding children, protecting their mental health and combating the behaviour crisis in our schools, then a statutory ban for under‑16s must happen urgently.'
Cabinet minister Heidi Alexander said the Government would 'review' Australia's ban, but added there were benefits to young people from being on social media.
The Transport Secretary told the BBC: 'We are going to review the situation in Australia and how that works. Obviously we had the world-leading Online Safety Act come in last year.
'We've got very strict rules about age verification and we are restricting, with the social media platforms, harmful content that is delivered up on the social media feeds of young people relating to things like suicide and self-harm.
'We've got to get the balance right here, making sure that young people are safe online as well as offline.
'But that they can also enjoy what's great about the digital world. If you speak to some young people who are perhaps gay or are trying to find a community for themselves, actually that can be really important for them online as well.'
Anna Edmundson, the NSPCC's head of policy and public affairs, said: 'It is vital young people are protected from the harms that can take place on social media, but we believe a blanket ban for under 16s would be a blunt approach to a complex problem.
'It would undermine young people's rights to connect with friends and family, learn about the world and access support.
'It also risks driving them to unregulated spaces online, exposing them to even greater threats.
'We must not punish young people for the failure of tech companies to create safe online experiences.
'To fix this properly, services must be held accountable for the content being pushed out on their platforms and ensure that young people – and adults – can enjoy social media safely.'
Labour to issue guidance to parents on screen time for under-5s
Parents will be given guidance by the state on how long under-5s should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said around 98 per cent of children were watching screens on a daily basis by the age of two, with parents, teachers and nursery staff saying children were finding it harder to hold conversations or concentrate on learning.
The first guidance on the issue will be published in April, with Ms Phillipson insisting it would be 'shaped by parents, not dictated to them'.
New Government research suggests that higher screen use for under-2s is linked to poorer language development.
The children with the highest screen time – around five hours a day – could say significantly fewer words than those at the other end of the scale who watched for around 44 minutes.
Ms Phillipson, writing in the Sunday Times, said: 'Like so many parents, I've had evenings where you give in when your little one wants 'just one more' episode of their favourite show. But we're beginning to see the risks when 'just one more' starts to add up.'
She acknowledged screens 'are not going anywhere, so let's use them well', suggesting parents could share a story on a tablet computer or use it for educational games.
The guidance will also help parents come up with alternatives to screen time for their children.
She said: 'As adults, how many of us walk around with our face in our phones? Or sit on the train fixated on our tablet? We use them for hours every day, and maybe wish we didn't, but what about our children?
'Research shows that by age two, almost all children – around 98 per cent – are watching screens such as mobiles, tablets, and TV every day, during a critical period for language development.
'Parents, teachers and nursery workers talk about children arriving at nursery and school and finding it harder to hold conversations, focus, or engage in learning.'