A ban on social media for under-16s is being considered in the UK as the government tries to tighten laws around online safety.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the measure is “on the table” and warned tech companies to take more steps to protect children.

The minister has set out his priorities for the online safety regulator, Ofcom, as it prepares to implement and enforce the laws outlined in the Online Safety Act next year.

Social media has been blamed for an increase in children killing themselves and developing eating disorders due to bullying and exposure to negative body images.

What does the law mean?

The law will see new security duties placed on social media platforms for the first time, requiring them to enforce age limits and protect users, especially children, from harmful content.

This will include a crackdown on under-13s accessing age-restricted content.

Businesses will have three months from the finalization of guidance to carry out risk assessments and make changes to protect users.

Platforms could face fines of up to £18m from the watchdog if they do not comply with the rules of the Online Safety Act when they come into effect.

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Speaking to the Telegraph newspaper, Kyle suggested the UK would have to move to “another level of regulation” if tech companies do not come together to enforce the law.

The technology secretary said he would not implement further legislative changes until he understood how the online security law works.

Asked if Britain could raise its age limit to 16, Kyle told the Telegraph, “In terms of keeping young people safe, everything is on the table.”

The bill has drawn criticism from some groups, with many questioning how the policy will be enforced and whether it protects children.

Critics have argued that removing children from social media reduces the incentives for platforms to provide safer online environments.

What other countries do this?

Australia has unveiled the world’s first legislation that would ban children under 16 from platforms such as X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms that drive destructive content as part of proposed changes to online safety laws, the government said.

“The digital duty of care will put the onus on digital platforms to proactively keep Australians safe and better prevent online harm,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the measures could become law by the end of next year.

Australia is also trialling an age verification system to help block children from accessing social media platforms, as part of a series of measures that include some of the toughest controls put in place by any country to date.

The technology secretary signaled that he had already spoken to politicians from Australia about the plans.

What happens next?

As the Government prepares to enforce the law, Kyle has for the first time published a statement of strategic priorities for watchdog Ofcom.

This says Ofcom should ensure that the ‘security by design’ concept is followed by platforms from the start so that more harm is caught before it happens, and is pushing for more transparency from tech companies about what harm is occurring on their platforms.

It also calls on them to create digital worlds that are inclusive and resilient to harm, including from disinformation.

Ofcom must also ensure it is “agile” in how it regulates the sector by monitoring and addressing new potential harms, such as AI, and embracing online security technologies to also help improve user safety.

The government said Ofcom will need to consider each of the priorities set out when enforcing the law, and report back on what steps it has taken to ensure safer online spaces are delivered.

“Keeping children safe online is a priority for this Government. That’s why today I will be the first Secretary of State to exercise the power to set out my strategic priorities,” said Kyle.

He also announced that ministers will launch a research project aimed at helping it understand the impact of smartphones and social media use on children.

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What do charities say?

Ian Russell, chairman of the Molly Rose Foundation, said the new priorities offered some “course correction” to the online safety law and would allow Ofcom to be “braver”, but warned that more reform of the rules was still needed.

The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) was established by Russell and his family in memory of his daughter, Molly, who took her own life at the age of 14 in November 2017 after seeing harmful content on social media.

“This announcement outlines a much-needed course correction, critical to improving online security and preventing the new regulation from falling short of expectations,” he said.

“But while this lays down an important marker for Ofcom to be bolder, it is also abundantly clear that we need a new online safety law to strengthen current structural failings and focus minds on the importance of harm reduction.”

Maria Neophytou, head of strategy and knowledge at the NSPCC, said the new priorities have “the potential to transform the online world for children”.

She added: “Through Childline we hear from young people every day about the range of harm they experience online, including online bullying, access to content encouraging suicide and eating disorders and child sexual abuse and exploitation.

“Tech companies need to be transparent about the harm that is happening on their platforms. They should be disrupting the ‘safe havens’ of offenders by addressing the hidden abuse that happens through private messaging.

“It is right that the government is focusing on driving innovation and new technologies that can identify and disrupt addiction and prevent harm from happening in the first place.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Our determination to create a safer online life for children and adults in the UK has never been stronger.

“We welcome the Government’s draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Security which, once final, will help shape this important work.”

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