Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed that technology companies have been given ample opportunity to address safety concerns related to their platforms, particularly in protecting young users. This statement comes ahead of an anticipated announcement from the prime minister, expected on Monday, regarding new restrictions on social media use by teenagers.
In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy emphasized that if these companies fail to take sufficient measures to make their products safe for children, they “lose the right to market their products towards children.” Reports from The Times indicate that the prime minister’s forthcoming plan may include banning social media access for under-16s on certain platforms and imposing curfews for older teenagers.
However, the proposed restrictions have met with criticism from campaigner Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly tragically took her own life after encountering harmful content online. Russell warned that blunt measures such as outright bans might exacerbate problems rather than solve them. He voiced his disappointment at the reported ban, suggesting that the policy was hastily pushed for political reasons. He further cautioned, “If he’s playing politics, what he’s doing is gambling with young people’s lives – and I find that deplorable.”
Lisa Nandy declined to reveal details ahead of the prime minister’s statement but stressed that the government is focused on how to better safeguard children online rather than whether to do so. She noted that the majority of responses to the government’s consultation supported a social media ban for under-16 users. While acknowledging that similar bans in Australia had been circumvented by some young people, Nandy argued that such measures could shift social expectations, meaning younger children would be less likely to consider social media spaces as a norm among their peers. She concluded that these cultural changes are why the government has taken the issue seriously and that further details would be provided soon
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.