It goes a step further than the previous call for smartphones ban in schools
Social media for children under the age of 16 would be banned by the Conservatives, party leader Kemi Badenoch said, adding that the Tories would raise the “age of consent” to “protect the children” from harmful content such as extreme pornography.
In the past, the Tories called for a smartphones ban in schools, but this policy now goes a step further.
That position was rejected by the government, on the grounds that it believes it is for individual schools to stop them being used in classrooms.
Now, the Conservatives say that the ban is necessary, as children are spending record amounts of time online.
In addition to that, the Tories say that children are frequently being exposed to violent content, pornography and other extreme material, and they also can come into contact with predatory or exploitative adults.
“Our policy is simple: clear rules for children, but freedom for grown-ups. This is not about censoring adults or demonising social media companies, it’s about helping people to take responsibility”, Ms Badenoch said.
“Government’s role isn’t to police speech or tell adults what to think, but it should draw clear, enforceable lines to protect children. A simple age limit for social media does that. It protects kids properly and stops adults being treated like children”, the Tories leader said.
“Our policy draws a clear line for under-16s, while protecting free choice and free speech for adults. Now the government must act”, she added.
Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said that “I don’t think this is the right way forward” when asked about the Tories’ pledge, but added that the government was looking “very intently at Australia”, where the policy was implemented last year.
Platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat would be required to ensure they are using age-verification methods that would not rely on any form of government digital ID, under the Tories’ policy.
Action taken by other countries including Australia, which has raised the age limit to 16 for social media use, were also pointed by the Conservatives.
Other countries like Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and Greece are also considering imposing restrictions.
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