Australia social media ban triggers demand in UK – however dangerous actor warning issued

The ban, which comes into effect tomorrow, will mean that children under the age of 16 in Australia are no longer allowed to have social media accounts

Australia will ban social media for under 16s from Wednesday – in a move that has sparked mixed reactions in the UK.

The ban, which comes into effect tomorrow, will mean that children under the age of 16 in Australia are no longer allowed to have social media accounts.

Some campaigners said such a ban could lead to bad actors targeting children in other online spaces, such as gaming or messaging platforms. But others supported the landmark move from Australia, arguing that it was the right to take action to stop the “damage of Big Tech”.

The Molly Rose Foundation, named after 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after being bombarded with social media harms, said the ban was “flawed”.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the suicide prevention charity, said: “We can do so much better than an Australia-style ban which is flawed from the start and that instead of eliminating harm will see online threats and bad actors migrate to gaming and messaging sites still accessible to teens.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer launches personal TikTok with festive clip and three-word message

“The quickest and most effective response to better protect children online is to strengthen regulation that directly addresses product safety and design risks rather than an overarching ban that comes with a slew of unintended consequences.

“With online harm at unprecedented levels, we need evidence-based approaches not kneejerk responses. The right answer is a safety and wellbeing by design approach to regulation that gives young people safe use of technology throughout their teens rather than them facing a cliff edge of harm on unregulated platforms when they turn 16.”

But Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, backed the ban. He said: “Every day, teachers see the damage Big Tech is doing to children and young people. Students are arriving at school exhausted, anxious, and already overwhelmed by what they’ve seen on social media.

“Australia is leading the way and we cannot let the UK fall behind. That is why the NEU is calling on the Government to act now and give children back their childhood.”

Richard Waterworth, the former general manager of TikTok in the UK and Europe, warned the enforcement of age restrictions on social media platforms in the country may lead to many “unintended consequences”.

He said that children are going to lie about their age, meaning they will not have access to safety tools that platforms have built. “I’d love to see positive effects, and you know, you’ve got to support the intent of this,” he said.

“But unfortunately, my professional experience tells me that this is kind of a magical thinking solution.”

The PM’s official spokesman: “We understand parents’ concerns about the impact of social media on children, which is why we’ve taken some of the boldest steps globally to ensure that online content is genuinely age-appropriate.

“As you know, there are no current plans to implement a smartphone or social media ban for children. It’s important we protect children while letting them benefit safely from the digital world, without cutting them off from essential services or isolating them.”