On the 15th of June, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology announced that the UK government will ban social media for under 16s. They state that, alongside this, ‘harmful features’ like livestreaming and contact with strangers will be restricted for under 18s.
Similar to the ban now in place in Australia, it will affect all ‘user-to-user’ platforms. The most significant impact will be placed on Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. It will also affect chat functions with strangers available on some gaming platforms, such as Roblox. “Romantic companion” chatbots will also be restricted for under 18s, and limits on ‘infinite scrolling’ are also being considered.[1]
Shortly following the announcement, our CEO Duncan Craig OBE stated,
“Whilst We Are Survivors welcomes national action to keep children and young people safe online, we are concerned that today’s announcement may be seen as a ‘fix all’ when it isn’t.”
“It’s vitally important that we ensure we don’t limit young people’s ability to connect with each other, especially those from marginalised communities who will often find connection and a sense of community and safety online. We also need to ensure that we are honest that the ban will inevitably push some young people into going into more unsafe spaces, and it is our responsibility to protect them from that move.”
Our organisation will always support efforts to keep children out of harmful spaces online. However, this ban risks undermining vulnerable children and teens’ ability to form meaningful and healthy connections with others.[2] In the case of boys as victims/survivors of sexual harms, social media can offer a safe space for boys to help-seek and find support resources. This might include disclosing, therapeutic, or criminal justice support.
“We urge the Government to commit to ensuring the ‘tech bros’ and social media platforms are held accountable and take responsibility for the harms caused to young people in their inaction, and we commit to supporting all action that truly keeps children safe.”
[1] The Guardian, UK under-16s social media ban: which apps will be blocked and how will it work?
[2] BBC, Social media has risks but has given us opportunities too, teen influencers say
