Proposed changes to social media regulations for teenagers
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has indicated that the voluntary nature of social media curfews for teenagers may be reconsidered if it is determined that young users are disabling preventive safety features, reports BritPanorama.
The recent announcement complements a social media prohibition for under-16s introduced by Sir Keir Starmer last month, as the government plans to impose restrictions on 16 and 17-year-olds by limiting access to social media platforms from midnight to 6am by default.
In addition to these measures, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has proposed turning off features that encourage addictive behaviour, such as auto-scrolling and algorithmic feeds.
Ministers have faced criticism over these plans, with opponents questioning their effectiveness given that teenagers can opt out of curfews. However, they noted trial findings suggesting that around 90% of minors would likely not disable these features.
Families participating in a government pilot involving over 300 teenagers and parents throughout the UK reported improvements in sleep and concentration attributed to overnight curfews, according to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit).
Phillipson stated, “It’s right that we take a different approach for under-16s and under-18s because, of course, as young people move from childhood into adulthood there’s a different set of considerations.”
“Sixteen-year-olds are able to work, they’re moving into adulthood, and therefore supporting them with that transition from not accessing social media into a world where they will be able to access social media is an important one,” she added.
She further noted the necessity of balancing the protection of younger users from potential harms associated with social media while allowing older teens some freedom, commenting, “I think it seeks to get the balance right between not wanting young people under 16 to be exposed to harm and all of the damage that we see.”
Asked whether the government might make safety settings mandatory if evidence shows age groups frequently turn them off, Phillipson remarked, “Every element of what we’re setting out will need to continue to be reviewed in line with the evidence. The technology moves fast and we’ll need to keep responding to that.”
Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan expressed confidence that the proposed framework would establish the UK as “the safest place for young people in their experiences online.”
The proposals also include mandates for under-18s to take regular breaks while interacting with chatbots, alongside a crackdown on AI services providing “dangerous, misleading or unverified mental health advice,” with ministers contemplating outright bans on certain high-risk chatbots, Dsit noted.
Fresh guidance regarding safe AI practices for children, parents, and guardians will be released, with enhanced media literacy education set to be implemented in schools from September.
Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner, welcomed the announcements as “a positive step” in response to young people’s calls for enhanced online protection.
“Young people tell me they try to cut down social media use but find it hard, so restrictions on infinite-scrolling are welcome,” she commented, also expressing a desire for further clarification on the rollout of the curfew policy to ensure its effectiveness while urging Ofcom to leverage its authority to enhance child safety online.
Conversely, the Conservative Party characterised the proposal as a “dog’s dinner,” advocating for a more straightforward outright ban of social media for those under 16. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott critiqued the curfews as ineffective, stating, “Either they think 16 and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything.”
Furthermore, NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood noted that while the proposals represent a step forward in improving the online experiences of young people, they fall short of adequately addressing the underlying issues related to addictive design features.“Unless they’re followed up with further, stronger measures, they will be a sticking plaster that fails to address the addictive design features which are driving high screentime and undermining children’s wellbeing,” he concluded.
