Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to introduce a social media ban for under 16s – The Mirror looks at how Australia’s ban works and how one could work in the UK
Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to introduce a social media ban for under 16s.
On Wednesday night, MPs were forced to rejected a ban for the second time in six weeks after peers demanded one be brought in.
Labour’s digital safety consultation, which will conclude in the summer, will decide whether an outright ban is the best way forward, or whether to bring in other measures such as curbs on addictive app features or an overnight curfew. It will also look at where restrictions need to be implemented other than traditional social media platforms, such as gaming platforms and AI chatbots.
But pressure is mounting on the PM to implement a ban urgently. It follows Australia enforcing one in December and other European countries including Greece and Spain putting forward similar plans.
The PM hauled in tech giants to Downing Street on Thursday morning in an attempt to show bereaved parents he is listening to their demands. At the start of the meeting, he told bosses from X, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Snap, TikTok, and Google, which owns YouTube, that the risks children face on social media “can’t go on like this”.
And Mr Starmer hinted at the possibility of a ban, telling the tech chiefs: “In a world in which children are protected, even if that means access is restricted, that is preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation.”
The Mirror looks at how Australia’s social media ban works – and how one could work in the UK.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer summons tech giants to No10 after powerful warning from families
How does the Australia social media ban work?
Australia’s social media ban came into force on December 10.
The country’s eSafety Commissioner included ten platforms within the scope of the minimum age restrictions including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube Threads and Reddit. Streaming platforms Kick and Twitch are also covered by the ban.
Social media firms must take action to keep kids off their platforms with robust age verification measures. They face fines of up to £25million for serious or repeated breaches of the rules. Age verification measures include using government IDs or face and voice recognition.
Critics have argued that more platforms should be included in Australia’s ban, including AI chatbots, gaming platforms and dating websites.
Has Australia’s ban faced problems?
Early research out of Australia suggests a majority of children are still accessing social media sites despite the ban.
Polling conducted by the Molly Rose Foundation and YouthInsight, Australia’s largest online youth panel, showed three in five (61%) Australian 12 to 15 year-olds still have access to one or more accounts on restricted platforms. Social media firms have retained a majority of their child users, with 53% of previous TikTok users, 53% of YouTube users and 52% of Instagram users still able to access an account on these sites.
It comes amid concerns about the effectiveness of age verification tech in Australia. Rebecca Stimson, UK Director of Public Policy at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, warned MPs earlier this week of“ technical limitations on age assurance”, adding: “We’ve seen, for example, marketplaces spring up in Australia for people selling their ID to lend you ID if you’re trying to get back online.”
She also said youngsters were circumventing the ban by logging out of their accounts and searching social media platforms through search engines like Google.
Questions have also been raised over the definition of a “social media platform”. Snap – which owns Snapchat – and YouTube were among those to argue that they are not a social media firm. Reddit, a community forum platform, has launched legal action against the Australian government. It says the ban was applied to its site “inaccurately” as it argues it is a forum for adults rather than a traditional social media site.
How could a ban work in the UK?
The UK has already enforced strict age verification measures across social media platforms after the Online Safety Act came into force last July.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, recommends a wide range of measures to verify someone’s age, including using tech to analyse a photo or video of someone, using open banking or credit card age checks, or confirming someone’s age through their mobile network operator.
In theory, such age verification measures already being set up could mean a ban could be easily implemented if one was ordered by the Government. New powers have also been tabled in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is going through its final parliamentary stages, to enable the Government to act at speed to introduce targeted actions off the back of the consultation.
But savvy youngsters have already found ways to get around such age verification measures in the UK. After they came into force, app stores saw a surge in downloads of virtual private networks (VPNs), which hide a user’s real location and allow them to access sites blocked in the UK. Ministers have since confirmed its consultation will look into limiting kids’ access to VPNs.