Social media ban for under-16s 'unenforceable', says charity chief

A social media ban for under-16s would not be enforceable and the government should instead focus on restricting the features that make it addictive, the chief executive of an online safety charity has said.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to share the government's online safety plans on Monday, following speculation over a potential blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media, as has been introduced in Australia.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation which was set up in memory of Molly Russell, told BBC Breakfast he would be "dismayed" if the UK was to enforce a similar ban as the evidence "doesn't support" it.

He said the focus should instead be on banning features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, and the algorithms that "bombard" children with harmful material.

Molly was 14 when she took her own life in 2017 after being exposed to self-harm content online.

Burrows said that parents across the country were looking for "decisive action" from the government and the introduction of "measures that can actually succeed".

This could include enforcing tougher restrictions on features which make social media addictive, such as banning autoplay, infinite scroll, and the algorithms that "bombard" children with harmful material.

Burrows said that experts and organisations working on child safety "do not have confidence" in an Australia-style ban for under-16s.

Australia introduced the ban in January, but in March, its eSafety Commission found that seven in 10 parents whose children already had a social media account said they were still on the platforms.

Burrows told BBC Breakfast: "In Australia this is not working, it's not something that is enforceable."

He added: "This looks like policy making being done on the back of a fag packet and frankly that is incredibly high risk when we are talking about children's safety. We should be following the evidence."

The UK government announced a consultation on children's social media use in January, to examine the most effective ways to ensure young people can remain safe online.

It received 116,211 responses and Sir Keir is set to outline his proposals to parliament on Monday.

Government ministers have examined a variety of options for restrictions, including a blanket ban or the introduction of screen time limits.

Proponents of a ban have been offering "false hope" to parents, Burrows argued. "I'm looking at all the evidence, the sector is looking at all the evidence, and we just don't see what lessons we can learn from Australia."