UK open to social media ban for kids as government kicks off feasibility study | TechCrunch
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The U.K. government is not ruling out further beefing up of existing online safety rules by adding an Australian-style ban on social media for kids under

Summary

The UK government is considering a social media ban for under-16s, inspired by Australia, as part of efforts to enhance online safety under the Online Safety Act (OSA).

A feasibility study has been launched to assess the impact of social media and smartphones on children, with officials emphasizing the need for evidence-based decisions.

The OSA prioritizes child safety, tackling issues like intimate image abuse, harmful content, and disinformation.

Ofcom, the regulator, will enforce the law starting next spring, with potential fines for non-compliant tech companies.

  • ShadowRam@fedia.io
    10·
    3 days ago

    Not only the technical problem of blocking ‘anything’ on the internet…

    What the hell would be the threshold of ‘social media’?

    old bulletin boards or IRC chat could be considered ‘social media’…

    what goobers,…

    • gnomesaiyan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      I think the threshold might be media that is known to be bad influencers to the masses. If a corporation/company stamps social media logos on the bottom of their website or advertisement, it’s probably worth banning (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, etc). I mean, how many more Tide pod challenges do our children need? It’s a waste of time and we need to instead be showering our kids with positive messages, not feeding them brain rot.