00:00I fundamentally believe that we must harness the power of technology to build a stronger, fairer Britain.
00:07But we must also protect our children.
00:11And so I want this message to be heard loud and clear.
00:15I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.
00:21And that is why this ban must happen, and that is why this ban will happen.
00:26Social media is to be banned for all under-16s across the UK in a new government move.
00:33The plans will prevent under-16s from accessing major platforms and introduce further safeguards across other digital spaces.
00:41Ministers say the aim is to improve safety and well-being online,
00:45with rules designed to affect how children across the UK interact, communicate and spend time on their devices.
00:52The central proposal is a ban on social media access for anyone under the age of 16,
00:58covering major platforms used for posting content and social interaction.
01:03Messaging services such as WhatsApp are not included.
01:06Alongside this, the government is planning additional restrictions aimed at reducing exposure to harm online,
01:13including tighter controls on live streaming and limits on strangers being able to contact children through online services.
01:20The proposals are being presented by ministers as a response to concerns from families about children's mental health and online
01:28safety.
01:29It stops children doing their homework, reading, playing with their friends outside, going to bed at a decent hour.
01:39Now, that may not sound like much, but these are the activities that help a child develop into an adult.
01:48Yet, there are opposing views across parliamentary parties.
01:52I'm as concerned as anybody else about harmful content that they might see.
01:57So, I understand where this came from, that it is well-intentioned.
02:02But Nigel and I are very sceptical about this.
02:07We think it is very impractical.
02:09We're also very worried that this will be a backdoor route into mandatory ID,
02:18where everyone, frankly, regardless of their age, is going to have to start to put in their ID.
02:24Some tech giants have disagreed with the government's move.
02:27A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook,
02:31said that the ban risks isolating teens from online communities and information,
02:37driving them to unregulated alternatives.
02:40Social media platforms have imposed safety precautions,
02:43with accounts restricted with parental permissions and time limits in recent years.
02:48A TikTok spokesperson said,
02:51we will examine the details of the government's measures
02:53and we look forward to collaborating constructively with the government on this important issue.
02:58The approach has also prompted criticism from some child rights and safeguarding organisations.
03:04The Office of the Children's Commissioner for Jersey
03:07has described the plans as unlikely to fully protect children from online harm,
03:12arguing that they do not go far enough in addressing how platforms are designed.
03:16Views among young people are also mixed,
03:19with some pupils saying clearer roles are needed to protect well-being.
03:23First, we've seen in Australia that many children will try and succeed in getting around a ban.
03:28I think that is inevitable when social media has been such an integral part of their lives.
03:34So we will introduce more highly effective age assurance measures to better support compliance,
03:40and I have asked Ofcom to share proposals on this within months.
03:44However, I want to be clear to parents and to members of this House,
03:49that our ban is as much about helping future generations and resetting social norms in future
03:56as it is about young people today.
03:58The government says it plans to bring the legislation forward before Parliament before Christmas,
04:04with the aim of introducing the new system from spring 2027.
04:09But it's been amazing to hear the Prime Minister speak,
04:11and I wholeheartedly can't thank him enough for actually stepping up and doing something here.
04:16We've been campaigning for a long time, and actually he's finally making changes.
04:20Apparently, I was reading the other day, 50% of 14 to 15-year-olds have seen a beheading.
04:24I don't want to see that as an adult, let alone children seeing it.
04:27So there is so much harmful criteria, and what's coming out from the states and the courts,
04:31it's been proven there's harmful material, and now we're actually going to do something about it.
04:35Alongside the social media restrictions,
04:38further age controls are being proposed for certain artificial intelligence chatbot features,
04:44including a minimum age of 18 for intimate or romantic-style interactions,
04:49and limits on similar functions for under-18s more generally.
04:52Ministers also say they are considering additional safeguards
04:56such as time limits and restrictions on infinite scrolling,
04:59but stress that those details are still under review.
05:02As the proposals move through Parliament,
05:05further debate is expected over how the rules will be enforced in practice
05:09and what impact they will have on how children across the UK use online platforms.
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