In this month's column, Yuan Yang, the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, considers increasing calls from members of the public to control social media and take measures to enhance online safety. Ms Yang writes:
In my inbox this week, one issue has really stood out: the question of whether we should restrict teenagers and young children from using social media. More than 400 people have written to voice their support for a model like Australia’s, where the biggest platforms have been barred from creating accounts for children under the age of 16.
It is high time for the UK government to follow suit, and to address the harms of social media for young people. Parents and teachers in particular are instinctively recognising what the research is beginning to reveal; the longer children spend on addictive algorithm-driven platforms, the more anxious and less attentive they become at home and in schools.
These systems are designed to capture attention, which can have a serious effect on young minds that are still developing their defences against such manipulation. To make matters worse, the Australian government found that 7 out of 10 children had been exposed to harmful content online, such as material promoting eating disorders. We’ve seen how irresponsible big tech can be at policing its own content, with the recent spread of nonconsensual AI-generated images of women and children on Elon Musk’s X being a particularly nasty example.
This is why I added my name to a letter, alongside 60 other Labour MPs, urging the government to restrict under-16s’ access to social media. We are asking for regulation that places responsibility where it belongs: on companies that profit from children’s data and attention.
I’m encouraged that ministers are moving quickly. This week, the government announced a nationwide consultation examining how children use technology, the appropriate minimum age for social media access, and how to limit exposure to addictive algorithms, and platforms like X have apologised and changed their AI tools after condemnation from the Prime Minister.
Action is also needed offline, particularly in schools. The Education Secretary has confirmed that Ofsted inspections will now expect schools to be phone-free by default, with clear and enforceable policies in place.
The government is moving quickly on this issue and I know that many of you are looking for progress. If you want to hear more from me about our social media laws, then do let me know at yuan.yang.mp@parliament.uk and I’ll keep you up to date.
Share