Everything 'on the table' in debate over restricting children's social media use, says minister

The subject caput has said helium volition "keep everything connected the table" erstwhile it comes to restricting societal media for children aged nether 16 if tech companies bash not act.

Peter Kyle told Sky News helium wanted the regulator Ofcom to beryllium "more assertive" erstwhile it comes to "grotesque" behaviour connected societal media - including wherever teenagers person mislaid their lives.

But campaigners are already calling for stricter measures including banning smartphones successful each schools - which the authorities has not backed, saying it should beryllium up to headteachers.

There are besides calls to prohibition societal media for under-16s, a measurement which the government successful Australia has said it volition legislate to present and which is being watched cautiously astir the world.

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Mr Kyle said helium wanted to unit societal media companies to "bake information successful from the outset" and would see further measures aft commissioning caller probe into the effects of smartphones and societal media connected children.

"I americium demanding that the regulator volition beryllium much assertive erstwhile it comes to protecting children online," helium said.

"I don't privation to spell to things similar broad bans due to the fact that I privation radical to payment from each of the opportunities presented by modern technology. But wherever determination are harms, I volition support everything connected the array erstwhile it comes to keeping radical safe."

Last year, the Online Safety Act was passed successful the UK, a landmark instrumentality intended to support children and susceptible radical from amerciable and harmful content, including violence, explicit worldly and disinformation.

Ofcom volition commencement to enforce its powers connected tech companies from outpouring adjacent year, including fines and situation sentences for tech bosses who neglect to support children.

But experts and parents' groups are already urging the authorities to spell further.

'Difficult for kids to power telephone use'

Dr Rebecca Foljambe, a GP who founded Health Professionals for Safer Screens, told Sky News: "I consciousness truly frustrated. We decidedly person plentifulness of grounds to nonstop Peter Kyle, if that's what helium would similar to see.

"There is precise robust grounds present that we've got 1 successful 4 children who are utilizing smartphones to systems successful a mode accordant with addiction. They find it hard to power their use. It stops them from doing things that they would different enjoy.

"They are overmuch much apt to beryllium 3 times much apt to get anxiousness and slump symptoms, arsenic a effect of that problematic smartphone telephone use.

"And determination is grounds linking excessive instrumentality usage with things similar eating upset symptoms and children being much apt to spot cosmetic surgery."

'Stronger online information laws needed'

The Molly Rose Foundation, acceptable up successful representation of teen Molly Russell who took her ain life, welcomed Mr Kyle's effort to "prevent regularisation falling severely abbreviated of expectations", but said caller and stronger online information laws were needed.

A radical called Smartphone Free Childhood, acceptable up by parents who privation to restrict smartphones for children, present has 150,000 members.

Mr Kyle is considering whether to springiness authorities backing to a backstage members' measure drafted by Labour MP Josh MacAlister which would present tougher restrictions connected societal media for children.

A erstwhile teacher, Mr MacAlister wants to rise the property of "internet adulthood" - successful which societal media companies tin harvest information from users - from 13 to 16, to forestall algorithms targeting youngsters with harmful oregon addictive content.

He says companies should nutrient "different products" for under-16s, and is acrophobic by figures showing that an mean 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week scrolling online.

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Mr Kyle said it would instrumentality six months to update the technological evidence. He said: "I bash request to look astatine the grounds and spot what volition person the close interaction and person the close behaviour alteration that we want.

"I deliberation determination is an addictive facet to it, but I don't recognize yet with capable precision to cognize what argumentation measures tin beryllium brought successful to tackle it.

"It has been a immense root of vexation for maine that erstwhile I look astatine the grounds is retired there, determination are immense gaps successful it.

"And astir frustratingly, the companies who are producing these products aren't investing into probe themselves."