UK seeking to possibly ban social media use for kids under 16
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Platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Snap are among those being considered in the blanket ban by ministers gathering evidence to prove their harm against children, before a consultation due next month.
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Children are seen holding cell phones in an undated image. (Getty Images via AFP)
Citing insider sources, Bloomberg reported that minors in the UK under the age of 16 will possibly be banned from using social media in an attempt to maintain their mental stability and health, under internet safety legislation proposed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Snap are among those being considered in the blanket ban by ministers gathering evidence to prove their harm against children, before a consultation due next month.
Experts behind the UK’s Online Safety Act have called the ban controversial; several of whom called it counterproductive in comments to reporters.
Former Facebook executive Lord Allan of Hallam, an advisor on the legislation, told The Times, "The whole point of the Online Safety Act is to try and make platforms like social media platforms safe for children," adding, "What’s all that effort for if the alternative is to say, ‘well, they just can’t go on it at all’. It’s a completely different strategy from the one that the government has been marching down and investing massively in the last two years."
A spokesperson for Sunak’s office downplayed the whole idea and denied final decisions being made, adding that they "are looking broadly at this issue of keeping children safe online," but sources informed Bloomberg that the plan had "not been ruled out."
'Less safe, more toxic'
A government source claims that lawmakers are "looking at ways to empower parents, rather than crack down on anything in particular," highlighting a "gap in research" that requires more in-depth exploration.
An August report by The Guardian shows that UK-based TikTok users might experience a "less safe" and "more toxic" version of the app compared to their European counterparts due to a discrepancy in the application of EU rules.
In September, TikTok was penalized €345 million (£296 million) for violating EU data protection laws in its handling of children's accounts, including failing to keep underage users' information private.
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The Irish data protection body, which supervises TikTok across the EU, claimed that the Chinese-owned video app had violated various GDPR requirements.
It found that TikTok violated GDPR by defaulting child users' accounts to public; failing to provide transparent information to child users; allowing an adult to access a child's account on the "family pairing" setting to enable direct messaging for children over 16; and failing to adequately consider the risks posed to children under 13 on the platform who were placed on a public setting.
