United Kingdom: Sunak Government Mulls Crackdown On Social Media Access For Children Under 16

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is reportedly considering implementing stringent measures on social media usage for children below 16 years of age, which may include potential bans.

The ministers in the Sunak government are set to launch a consultation as early as January to collect data on the potential harm to children from the use of social media, Bloomberg reported citing sources.

Discussions are still in the preliminary phase and it's possible that the policy might not be implemented, according to sources cited in the Bloomberg report.

Although bans were reportedly part of the discussions, they are unlikely to be part of the final plan.

However, another source cited in the Bloomberg indicated that options such as a ban or enhanced parental controls are still on the table.

"We are looking broadly at this issue of keeping children safe online," Sunak's spokeswoman, Camilla Marshall, told reporters at a regular briefing Thursday.

However, she declined to comment on specific measures under consideration.

Recently, the UK enacted the Online Safety Act, which increases the responsibility of firms providing user-to-user services to protect people - especially children - on the internet, including age verification obligations.

The National Crime Agency has issued a warning to British parents about the potential risks of letting their children use Facebook, following the decision by Meta Platform to implement encrypted messaging, which has sparked safety concerns.

Schools Minister, Damian Hinds, called on Meta on Thursday to reconsider their decision.

Hinds told Times Radio that the issue isn't about safeguarding people's privacy. Instead, it truly revolves around the ability to intercept, examine, and eventually prosecute those involved in child abuse.