Social media ban for under-16s welcomed by local politicians
However, Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner says the companies behind the social media platforms need to be targeted, not youngsters
A FORTHCOMING ban of social media for under-16s has been welcomed by politicians in Shetland.
Newly elected MSP for the isles, Hannah Mary Goodlad, and Green councillor and former election candidate Alex Armitage both spoke of their support for the ban.
However, Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner Nicola Killean expressed her disappointment with the announcement and said a social media ban may expose children to more risk.
First to respond locally after the ban was announced by prime minister Keir Starmer on Monday morning was Armitage.
Father of a 13-year-old himself, and an NHS paediatrician, he said he was “100 per cent supportive of this ban on social media for young teenagers”.
He said his son has had a phone for just under a year, adding that the “thought of him being at the mercy of Elon Musk and Max Zuckerberg’s algorithms strikes fear into me”.
In an emotional press conference at 8am, the prime minister said the decision to protect children from harmful features online was decisive action on behalf of the government that was supported by nine out of ten parents.
The ban, which follows a similar one in Australia, would give children less time for scrolling and more time for playing, Sir Keir said.
The ban is planned to be introduced from spring next year, and will include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be included in the ban.
Armitage said: “Social media was designed to be a leveller, to promote free speech, to allow ordinary folk to hold the powerful to account.
“Now it has become yet another opportunity for corporations to extract resource from ordinary folk.
“In 2009, algorithms began to change to make scrolling addictive and prioritise content for advertising revenue – keep folk glued to their phones and you can make money from them.
“Now, at least our bairns are protected from this.”
Armitage added that he would like to see the government to go further and “legislate against the algorithms that cause so much harm in the first place”.
“If we went back to having chronological feeds from accounts we choose to follow, as was the case in the early 2000s and 2010s, we could enjoy the benefits of social media without the malign interference of corporate profiteering,” he said.
Meanwhile Goodlad described the ban as the “right move” by the UK Government.
“We can all see the damaging effects of social media on our young folk,” the MSP said. “Throughout the campaign, and now that I am in parliament I hear from parents all the time not really sure what to do.”
She described social media as a “Wild West”, adding that regulation has so far not worked.
“It is probably too early to say how the ban [on social media] has gone in Australia, but I think that it was the right move. I just wish the UK Government had done this sooner.
“It is a move that will pay dividends for young folk growing up as there are so many pressures today. This is about taking back safety and control for allowing bairns to be bairns for longer.”
Children commissioner Killean however said the prime minister’s statement was directed at adults and not the children the ban would affect.
She said instead of targeting children, the companies behind the platforms needed to be made to take responsibility in preventing harmful and addictive and exploitative features.
“The available evidence does not currently show a blanket ban would make children safer online, and it may inadvertently push children to less regulated or riskier parts of the internet,” she said.
“The proposed ban could impact some groups of children more than others. Children in rural areas, children with family overseas, disabled children, and children who rely on online spaces for identity, support, or community may be particularly affected.
“Enforcing a ban on children takes away the responsibility on platforms to make social media safer. We want safeguards and the regulation of platforms to be strengthened – and enforced.
“Platforms must be made to take more accountability in preventing harm – addictive and exploitative features should be the focus. Platforms should change so they are suitable for children, rather than children simply being banned from them.”
More reactions to follow throughout the day.
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