Sadiq Khan 'to back under 16s social media ban' to pile pressure of Starmer to enact restrictions
The London mayor is expected to support the ban as the Government
The Mayor of London is expected to support a ban on social media, claiming that it is “the only way to stem the harms we know are happening right now”.
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This comes after Technology Secretary Liz Kendall revealed that parents overwhelmingly support the ban and have called for Australian-style restrictions for children.
More than 80,000 people responded to the consultation on whether to introduce restrictions on the technology, which Ms Kendall said is “definitely on the table”.
The minister revealed that nine in 10 parents supported a ban on children under 16 having social media accounts.
Read more: Social media restrictions for under 16s should extend to video games, says children’s commissioner
Read more: Nine in 10 parents back social media ban for children, says Technology Secretary
She said: “It’s been a really overwhelming response from parents, and I think parents are crying out for help and support.
“They know that there are some good things that kids can get from it (social media), but they are worried about what they’re seeing.”
The prime minister promised that he would take action on the matter within “weeks, not months” whilst meeting with parents of children whose deaths were connected to social media.
The proposed ban has been met with criticism from Scotland’s children’s commissioner, Nicola Killean, who scrutinised the effectiveness of a ban.
Ms Killean argued that a ban would do “little to address underlying issues such as exploitative algorithms”.
As part of her contribution to the consultation, Ms Killean said that evidence on the efficacy of the ban was “limited, mixed and still emerging”.
“Blanket restrictions can risk shifting responsibility away from platforms and on to children,” she added.