- UK confirms there are no plans to replicate Australia’s social media ban
- But Culture Secretary said that the government may consider it if it works
- Under-16s Australians are banned from using popular social media apps
It’s been less than 24 hours since Australia’s landmark social media ban for under-16s came into effect, and the UK government is already being asked whether it intends to follow suit.
However, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed today (December 10) that the government has “no plans” to replicate the legislation. Speaking on Sky News, Nandy cited concerns about enforceability and the risk that banning access could “push young people into other places” online.
However, the door isn’t entirely closed. In a separate appearance on BBC Breakfast, Nandy admitted that the government “would certainly consider it,” provided there was evidence that it worked and that young people trusted the process.
Is age-gating content the right apporach?
The UK made headlines earlier this year when it began enforcing the age verification provisions of its Online Safety Act legislation.
Under these rules, platforms must ensure users are over 18 before granting access to inappropriate material. This has impacted a wide range of services, from adult sites and dating apps to social media and user-generated content platforms.
But the move has sparked backlash. Despite agreeing on the importance of protecting children online, privacy experts and digital rights advocates have strongly criticized mandatory age checks, calling them a dangerous “privacy tradeoff.”
These privacy concerns have pushed many Brits towards the best VPNs to bypass age checks. Ofcom has acknowledged the challenge that circumvention tools like VPNs pose and is currently monitoring their use.
Given this cat-and-mouse dynamic, it’s hardly surprising that officials in the UK are questioning whether Australia’s wide-ranging legislation may have an “enforceability” problem.
Will banning teens from social media entirely be the next step in the UK? The UK Culture Secretary doesn’t seem convinced just yet, but other influential figures are already aligning themselves with Canberra’s tougher stance.
Talking to PoliticsHome, Joani Reid, chair of the Children’s Online Safety All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), said: “The principle of it is a fantastic thing, and if it is successful and implemented well, I hope that the government will look at it.”
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chiara.castro@futurenet.com (Chiara Castro)
