Government would not support social media ban for under-16s, minister says
The UK Government would not support an Australia-style blanket ban on under-16s using social media, the Technology Secretary has said.
Peter Kyle said he believes decisions about when children should access social media should be left to parents.
Last year, he had suggested such a ban in the UK could be 'on the table' if companies did not take action to protect children, but has since softened his stance on the issue, suggesting in January he had 'no plans' for such a ban.
Australia introduced the world's highest age restriction on social media use last year, barring children under 16 from creating accounts.
But Mr Kyle has said the UK should not follow suit.
Speaking to Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: 'Parents need to have the flexibility to parent in a way that's suitable for their children and circumstances.
'I'm trying to get the balance right between giving parents the freedom to be parents but also having absolute backstops.
' Porn going into young children's hands – that's a backstop. Violent misogynistic content – that's a backstop.
'If government can get the fundamentals right, that can give parents the freedom to introduce children to social media and some of the developmental potential.
'Most platforms are available from 13 plus – parents should decide if it's 13, 14, even up to 18.'
In November, Mr Kyle told the Telegraph newspaper that the UK could move to to 'another level of regulation' if tech companies do not get together to enforce the Online Safety Act.
At the time, he said he did not want to pursue further law changes until he sees how the Online Safety Act works.
But he signalled he had been speaking to politicians from Australia where social media restrictions for under-16s have been approved by its parliament.
Asked if the UK could push its age limits up to 16, Mr Kyle told the Telegraph: 'When it comes to keeping young people safe, everything is on the table.'
Mr Kyle's latest comments came on the day Ofcom published its final codes of practice, under the Online Safety Act, laying out how tech firms must protect children from harmful content.
It includes requiring firms to make their algorithms safe for children by not recommending them harmful material, and pushing firms to implement age verification tools – such as ID or credit card checks – to ensure children do not access inappropriate or harmful content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed
Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed BBC chairman Samir Shah suggested the current flat fee could be replaced in future The BBC licence fee would be means tested if the proposals were introduced (Image: Getty ) A BBC boss has proposed TV licence fees could be based on the value of one's home in future. Chairman Samir Shah suggested that the current £174.50 fee could be replaced with a progressive payment structure tied to property values. In an interview earlier this year, he proposed that the fee could be linked to council tax bands and collected concurrently, marking his first significant change since succeeding Richard Sharp. He also dismissed the notion of replacing the TV licence with a Netflix-style subscription service, arguing it wouldn't fulfil the BBC's mission to provide something for everyone in the country. Under this proposal, households in higher council tax bands would pay more for BBC services, while those in lower bands might pay less than the current rate. The option to opt out of paying a TV licence would be removed. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Shah believes this approach would lessen the need to prosecute non-payers, telling The Sunday Times: "It gets rid of the enforcement issue, which is a problem. The idea that not paying the licence fee is a criminal offence seems too harsh." For regions like Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, where Council Tax doesn't apply, an alternative method would need to be established, reports the Express. Article continues below Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy may be receptive to the idea, having previously described the current model as "harder for poorer households to pay". During the interview, he tackled queries about altering the BBC's funding model and dismissed the idea of a hybrid structure that would offer basic services like news for free while charging for drama or comedy content. He also mentioned that introducing advertising to the BBC would "kill off ITV" and rejected the notion that the BBC should be funded entirely through general taxation, arguing it would "leave the BBC open to influence from the government of the day". Article continues below At the moment, although there are concessions or free licences for certain groups, such as those over 75 who receive Pension Credit, the licence fee does not take personal assets into account. The standard licence fee is set at £174.50 per annum, with a reduced rate of £58.50 for black and white TV subscriptions. For individuals who are blind or severely sight-impaired, there is a 50% concession, bringing the cost down to £87.25.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Pentagon launches review of US-UK-Australia Aukus security alliance
The Pentagon has launched a review of the Aukus submarine agreement to make sure it is aligned with Trump's 'America first' agenda, throwing the $240bn defense pact with Britain and Australia into doubt The review may trigger more allied anxiety over the future of the trilateral alliance designed to counter China's military rise. 'The department is reviewing Aukus as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the president's 'America first' agenda,' a Pentagon official said. 'This means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defense and that the defense industrial base is meeting our needs.' The 2021 Biden-era agreement – met with mass excitement in Australia's security world – would see Australia acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines, with the US promising to sell up to five Virginia-class vessels from 2032. A new joint submarine class would follow in the early 2040s. But now, the Aukus-skeptic US undersecretary of defense, Elbridge Colby, has called for the review to determine whether the Australia-UK-US security alliance aligns with Trump's 'America first' agenda, a number of anonymous sources told Reuters. Colby posted on X last year that it 'would be crazy' for the US to have fewer nuclear submarines if conflict erupted over Taiwan. The British government responded cautiously to news of the US review, saying: 'Aukus is a landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies. It is one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades, supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic, while also delivering jobs and economic growth in communities across all three nations. 'It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year. The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which Aukus presents for our three nations.' Nuclear submarine powers are members of an exclusive club – only six countries currently operate them: the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and India. Aukus would make Australia the seventh. And while generally favored by US lawmakers focused on national security – and as Australia tries to step up its security spending in line with Trump's wishes – the deal's survival now appears to be in the balance. The US president himself does not seem to have made a priority of the pact. Asked about Aukus during Keir Starmer's visit in February, Trump appeared unfamiliar with the acronym, responding: 'What does that mean?' The review follows defense secretary Pete Hegseth's demand last week that Australia increase military spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP. The country's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has pledged only 2.4%, insisting Australia will set its own defense priorities. One British government official acknowledged the review to the FT and emphasized their commitment to the partnership. Hours before the news broke, the UK government announced a handsome $7.69bn investment to its nuclear submarine industrial base. Aukus represents the most substantial military cooperation between the three nations in generations, extending beyond submarines to include hypersonic missiles and advanced weapons technology. More details soon …
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
4Chan being investigated by UK officials under new online safety rules
Why you can trust Sky News 4Chan, an online forum notorious for its extreme content, is being investigated by UK officials over its failure to comply with new internet safety rules. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, said it had received complaints about potential illegal content on 4Chan, as it announced nine new investigations into sites that may have broken new rules. A porn site and seven file sharing websites are also being investigated. Under the new Online Safety Act, porn sites must develop strict age verification processes for users. Websites where people can see content shared by others, like 4Chan or social media, need to assess the risk of UK users encountering illegal content on their platforms. 4Chan has not submitted any such assessment, according to the regulator. 2:48 The seven file-sharing services have also been reported for the possible sharing of child sexual abuse material. Ofcom is also investigating whether porn site First Time Videos appropriately vets the age of its users. By July, sites hosting age-restricted content must have a "robust" age verification process in place. The rules have faced criticism from campaigners in the past for not going far enough. 1:11 Mariano Janin, whose teenage daughter Mia killed herself after being bullied online, told Sky News in April that the new rules are "too small, too little, too slow". In Australia, officials have taken dramatic action to try and deal with online harms for young people, and from December, under-16s will be banned from social media.
