Herald Express: Lib Dems announce new social media policy for under 16s

The chances are, you would be happy to let your 8-year-old watch Frozen or your 13-year-old watch The Hunger Games, but you would probably draw the line at violent films like Pulp Fiction or Evil Dead.  

So, why should social media be different?  

The question is obvious when you think about it. Yet successive governments have turned a blind eye as platforms that are designed to be addictive mine our children’s data, while exposing them to harmful content.  

It is terrifying to think that it is now quite normal for teens to spend hours every day addicted to scrolling feeds on their devices, and for children as young as 10 or 11 to be exposed to violence or pornography – even when they are not looking for it.  

The consequences of this on the physical and mental health of our young people are clear, and it feels like we have finally reached a watershed moment where politicians need to put children’s safety and wellbeing ahead of politics. 

Child safety campaigners and experts are calling for change, and politicians of all parties are now adding their voices, which could mean we are facing a new ‘seatbelt moment’, where we bring in some sweeping changes.  

The Liberal Democrats are calling for all social media to be age rated, borrowing the approach we have used with film and video classification for over 100 years.  

So platforms that use addictive algorithms or host inappropriate content would be restricted to users over 16 years old, while those hosting or tolerating pornographic or violent content would be limited to over 18s. Games and apps that pose no harm would have a younger age rating – think about how we label the suitability of toys for babies and young children – it’s a similar idea.  

Tech moves fast, but legislation can be glacial - the Online Safety Act took nine years to get through parliament, and now it’s in force it’s not powerful enough to make tech companies comply.  

The Conservatives are advocating for a blanket ban on social media, and there are hints the Labour government is considering it – but we don’t believe this is the right approach.  

And as the debate intensifies, 42 children’s and online safety organisations, experts and bereaved families have just issued a statement saying they don’t support a blanket ban either, but they support age limits set according to risk and harm – much like our approach would do. 

The pitfalls of a blanket ban are already becoming clear in Australia, where platforms are finding ways to circumvent the world’s first ban, and users are migrating to lesser-known platforms that weren’t included.  

Our harms-based, future-proofed approach would work differently, keeping up with new platforms and new technologies, while keeping our kids safe online and allowing them to still benefit and enjoy the best – and safest – bits of the online world. By focusing on risks and harms, it would enable new technologies to be appropriately rated as they become available. 

Our harm-based approach also provides a strong incentive for platforms to remove harmful algorithmic features and ensure safety for younger users – it puts the onus on the tech giants to clean up their act.  

The current business models of apps like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook would be legally classified as unsuitable for under-16s, unless these companies fundamentally rewrite their code to remove addictive algorithmic feeds and inappropriate content.  

It is time to free our children from devices that suck them in, that teach them to doubt themselves, to question what they look like and how popular they are, that ruin their sleep, harm their eyesight and distract them from socialising, being active and having fun with friends.  

This is a contentious issue, but we Liberal Democrats believe this harm-based approach is a positive and workable way to let children experience the best bits of the online world while keeping them safe from harm.  

I am eager to hear your thoughts on this idea and other ways we can protect children from the dangers of the online world. Please email me at caroline.voaden.mp@parliament.uk.