The technology secretary has ordered new research into social media to help decide whether Britain should follow Australia and issue a ban for under-16s.
Peter Kyle said the study would explore the effects of smartphone and social media use on children and fired a warning shot at the regulator Ofcom.
Australia is forging ahead with a ban for all under-16s regardless of parental consent. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, said this month: “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it.”
Kyle said he was “looking very closely” at Australia’s plan and was “open-minded” about a similar proposal in the UK. A review by the chief medical officer in 2019 found insufficient evidence of links between social media, smartphones and children’s mental health “to provide strong conclusions”.
Kyle believes technology companies have research on the problem but are not sharing it. His department is starting a six-month study that will “help direct future government action” and also a multiyear project.
Advertisement
Many campaigners and parents are demanding faster action after reading The Anxious Generation, a book by the American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. It blames smartphones for the rise in childhood anxiety and depression, but some academics have taken issue with its findings.
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt review — ban smartphones for children
The Safer Phones Bill, proposed by Josh MacAlister, a Labour MP, has a mechanism for banning social media for under-16s and is to be debated in March. Kyle will also call on Ofcom to report back to him on its progress with the Online Safety Act. The regulator is finalising new laws that come into force in the spring and will force tech companies to protect children online and remove illegal content.
Civil society groups believe the regulator is not being tough enough on tech companies and its rules would mean in some circumstances they would have to take less action than they do now.
Kyle has issued a “statement of strategic priorities” for Ofcom. He says the regulator should ensure safety is part of platforms from the start; be agile; tackle emerging harms such as generative artificial intelligence; and create an environment resilient to disinformation.
Advertisement
Ian Russell, chair of trustees at the Molly Rose Foundation, said the announcement “outlines a much-needed course correction” and “lays down an important marker for Ofcom to be bolder”.
Ofcom said: “We welcome the draft statement of strategic priorities … which, once finalised, will help shape this important work.”
