Children in UK face social media ban, addictive app restrictions and tough Ofsted phone checks
Keir Starmer is ramping up action to tackle online harms amid mounting pressure to introduce a social media ban for under 16s after Australia did so last month
Children face a social media ban, restrictions on addictive apps and stricter checks on phone usage in schools under plans announced on Monday.
Keir Starmer is ramping up action to tackle an online crisis that is robbing the childhoods of young people across the UK. The PM is facing mounting pressure to introduce a social media ban for under 16s after the Tories pledged to bring in one and after Australia did so last month.
than 60 MPs and some bereaved parents have urged Mr Starmer to introduce a ban, while other bereaved families and experts have warned a ban could bring “unintended consequences”.
a و and و to - تفاصيل مهمة
Ministers have announced a major consultation to gather evidence on the best solution, such as a social media ban for children under a certain age, phone curfews or restricting potentially addictive design features such as ‘streaks’ and ‘infinite scrolling’.
:Dad of girl, 14, who took own life gives powerful warning over social media banStreaks are achieved by consecutive daily interactions on a platform, while infinite scrolling is a design pattern where an app automatically loads as users scroll down a feed. The consultation will also consider increasing the digital age of consent – the age at which a child may give consent to the processing of their personal data – from 13-years-old. The government will respond to the consultation in the summer.
a و of و the - تفاصيل مهمة
Screen time guidance will also be developed for parents of children aged five to 16. The Mirror revealed last month that ministers were planning to update guidance for under fives. The Government last week confirmed it will publish its guidance for the age group in April. Introducing simpler parental controls to apps will also be explored.
Elsewhere, ministers are introducing tougher Ofsted inspections on mobile phone use in schools with immediate effect. The schools’ inspector has been ordered to examine phone policies on every inspection to ensure pupils do not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times or between lessons.
The work builds on the Online Safety Act, which forces tech firms to tame toxic algorithms, take faster action on removing harmful content and introduce robust age verification measures. Most social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, currently require users to be 13-years-old to create an account.
:Mum suing TikTok over death of child gives parents chilling warningA group of bereaved parents including Esther Ghey, the mum of murdered teen Brianna Ghey16, on Monday piled pressure on the Government to bring in a social media ban. She called for peers to support an amendment in the House of Lords – which will be voted on Wednesday – preventing children under 16 from going on social media.
In a letter to Mr Starmer, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, Ms Ghey said her daughter had a “social media addiction” and “desperately wanted to be TikTok famous”, putting her “in constant fear about who Brianna might be speaking to online”.
She said: “She developed an eating disorder and was self-harming, and all of this was significantly exacerbated by the harmful content she was consuming online… “No parent should have to live with the consequences of a system that failed to protect their child.”
Other signatories of the letter include the parents of Julian “Jools” Sweeney, 14, Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee12, Maia Walsh, 13, who are currently suing TikTok in the US for the alleged wrongful deaths of their kids.
the و to و of - تفاصيل مهمة
Elsewhere, than 60 Labour MPs signed a separate letter urging Mr Starmer to follow Australia’s ban.“Britain risks being left behind,” they said. “We believe the onus must be placed on technology platforms, not parents, to prevent underage access.”
But there are split opinions over a ban. Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 after being bombarded with harmful content, told The Mirror on Saturday he fears a ban could force vulnerable kids into darker and unregulated spaces on the internet, like gaming platforms or suicide forums.
He pointed to early research from Australia showing one in 10 teens seeking mental health support from the country’s national youth mental health service cited the new social media ban as an issue, according to Crikey website.
He has teamed up with than 40 charities, experts and bereaved parents to oppose the “blunt response”, with a joint statement warning: “Though well-intentioned, blanket bans on social media would fail to deliver the improvement in children’s safety and wellbeing that they so urgently need. They are a blunt response that fails to address the successive shortcomings of tech companies and governments to act decisively and sooner.”
the و to و and - تفاصيل مهمة
At a press conference on Monday, Mr Starmer would not commit to supporting a ban, but said the Government was “looking at a range of options” and “no options are off the table”. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them—and to give every child the childhood they deserve.”
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification. We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author:mirrornews@mirror.co.uk (Sophie Huskisson)
Published on:2026-01-20 02:30:00
Source: www.mirror.co.uk
