house of lords backs social media ban for under-16s

A ban on social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords following growing calls from campaigners.

It comes as supporters of the Australian-style ban have argued parents are in ‘an impossible position’ about the online harms their children are being exposed to.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced a three-month consultation this week,which will consider the advantages and disadvantages of a ban,as well as possible overnight curfews and actions to prevent ‘doom-scrolling’,reporting back in the summer.

But former schools minister Lord Nash argued the evidence is ‘overwhelming’ for a ban,with support ranging from ‘medical professionals to our police and national intelligence community,from our teachers to hundreds of thousands of parents’.

Peers voted 261 to 150,majority 111,in support of Lord Nash’s amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

You might notice that WhatsApp,Facebook Messenger or Discord aren’t on the list. Aussie safety officials consider these sites,among others,as messaging or gaming platforms.

Some kids in Australia are already bypassing age checks by wrinkling their faces and Googling contraception to appear older.

Others just browse social media without an account or click on shared links to outsmart politicians.