Rushed social media ban for under-16s in UK could ‘unravel’, charity warns

A consultation on children’s online safety closed only last week, but the government is keen to act on its findings as quickly as possible. Photograph: StockPlanets/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A consultation on children’s online safety closed only last week, but the government is keen to act on its findings as quickly as possible. Photograph: StockPlanets/Getty Images Rushed social media ban for under-16s in UK could ‘unravel’, charity warns Molly Rose Foundation says government should instead set strict safety standards for apps A rushed under-16s social media ban in the UK could unravel and families will be left to count the cost, a leading child safety charity has warned. The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said an age limit on the use of tech platforms could unravel, after a report that the prime minister, Keir Starmer , is to announce a ban on under-16s accessing “harmful” social media apps. It is not known which apps would fit into that category, but a blanket ban in Australia covers the leading industry names including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and Snapchat. MRF, founded by the family of Molly Russell, a British teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful online content on Instagram and Pinterest, said a ban would fail to keep children safer because they would circumvent age checks and could move to less regulated areas such as gaming. Andy Burrows, the MRF chief executive, said a “rushed” ban would “quickly unravel” and was not supported by the evidence. “Parents have been clear they want decisive action that will actually work,” he said. “If Keir Starmer prioritises short-term announcements over what the evidence and experts say is needed, children and parents will be left to count the cost and child protection will take a step back.” The Times reported on Sunday that the government was planning to announce a ban before the Makerfield byelection on 18 June. The mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham , who is contesting the seat for Labour, has said he will challenge Starmer for the party leadership if he wins. A consultation on children’s online safety, including whether there should be an under-16s ban, closed only last week, but the government is keen to act on its findings as quickly as possible. If the government pushes ahead with a selective ban, it would be different from the under-16s block in Australia where age limitations are imposed if a service enables social interaction between two or more users, and if it allows users to post material. A range of apps have been swept up in that definition. View image in fullscreen MRF has proposed safety standards including the curbing of personalised algorithms that curate the content a teenager sees. Photograph: Denis Borisov/Getty Images The UK government is also consulting on other safety matters including whether there should be age restrictions on a range of app features, such as infinite scrolling, and limitations on the use of AI chatbots. Time limits, curfews or a fu