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The chief executive of an online safety charity has expressed concerns over the enforceability of a potential social media ban for children under 16. Instead of imposing such a ban, the focus should be placed on limiting the addictive features of social media platforms. This perspective comes as the UK government prepares to announce whether it will follow Australia’s lead in implementing a similar restriction.
Andy Burrows, who leads the Molly Rose Foundation—a charity established in memory of Molly Russell—shared his thoughts on the matter during an interview with BBC Breakfast. He said he would be “dismayed” if the UK pursued a ban because the evidence supporting such a move “doesn’t support” it. Burrows emphasized that attention should be directed toward prohibiting features like autoplay, infinite scroll, and algorithms that “bombard” young users with harmful content, rather than instituting outright bans.
Molly Russell tragically died by suicide at the age of 14 in 2017 after encountering self-harm content online. Her father, Burrows, indicated that parents are seeking “decisive action” that can realistically protect children, suggesting that regulations targeting the mechanisms behind social media addiction could be more effective. He highlighted that Australia’s introduction of a ban earlier this year has not led to the desired results, with their eSafety Commission reporting that 70% of children with social media accounts still accessed these platforms despite the legislation.
Burrows criticized the current policymaking approach, describing it as “high risk” given the stakes involving child safety, and called for decisions to be grounded in solid evidence. The UK government’s consultation on children’s social media use, initiated in January, attracted over 116,000 responses from the public. Although various options such as comprehensive bans or screen time limits have been considered by ministers, Burrows warned that advocating for an outright ban might give parents “false hope,” stressing that lessons from Australia suggest this path is unlikely to succeed
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