The social-media bans for children are catching. The UK government has this morning confirmed its widely-leaked plans to follow Australia’s lead in banning social media for under-16s.
Which social media? “User-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms,” is the somewhat-tortured definition used in the announcement.
“The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X,” it added. Messaging apps like WhatsApp aren’t included.
The government is also planning “blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s”, noting that this will apply to “a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites”.
It also promised that it will have “more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards” than in Australia.
We know what you’re thinking. Is the UK also hosting a conference in the next few days where social-media bans and their impact on the music industry will be discussed? And – *waves promotional crowbar triumphantly* – there is: our Music Ally NEXT event on Thursday.
Find all the details on that here, and check out our recent Sandbox Guide on the topic here.
