Government consultation launching Monday will explore measures including Australia-style under-16 ban, overnight curfews on social media, and restrictions on AI chatbots and addictive design features
The government is mulling over the introduction of overnight curfews on social media and stricter controls on children’s use of AI chatbots as it gears up to initiate what it terms a “national conversation” on online safety.
Starting Monday, parents and youngsters will be encouraged to participate in a consultation that could propose measures such as an Australia -style prohibition on social media for under-16s, restrictions on addictive design elements like infinite scrolling and autoplay, and limitations on emerging AI tools.
Tech Secretary Liz Kendall stated the objective was to ensure children could “thrive in an age of rapid technological change”.
“The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play. That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one,” she said.
“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.”, as reported by City AM.
The consultation, which concludes on 26 May, will question whether platforms should be obligated to disable features that promote extended use late at night.
It will also debate whether age limits should be implemented outright. Separate surveys will be customised for adults and for children and teenagers.
Keir Starmer is increasingly anticipated to support a ban in principle by the summer, even if enforcement proves imperfect.
One senior figure involved in the process said a ban would send “the clearest signal to the industry that we want them to do more to protect young people online”.
The move comes amid mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers and campaigners who argue the Online Safety Act has not gone far enough.
Australia brought in a social media ban for under-16s last year, energising supporters of similar policies in the UK. Spain has since revealed plans to raise its minimum age to 16 and impose tougher age-verification rules, whilst France, Denmark and Austria are weighing up comparable limits.
Back in Britain, more than 60 Labour MPs have pressed the Prime Minister to act. Fred Thomas, who organised a letter calling for a ban, said: “Every day that goes by with children being harmed is one we will regret. Bold, confident action is required.”
Child protection charities have broadly welcomed the scope of the consultation.
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, said the “status quo is not working”, and called for tech companies to be forced to keep under-13s off social media and to remove “design tricks which keep young people addicted”.
The Molly Rose Foundation, set up after the death of 14 year old Molly Russell, has also pressed platforms to address recommendation algorithms that amplify harmful content, warning that parental alerts alone are insufficient. In conjunction with the consultation, ministers are gearing up powers that would permit changes to be implemented more rapidly than through a comprehensive parliamentary process.
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