Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy States Tech Firms Must Prioritise Child Safety Ahead of Social Media Restrictions

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has declared that technology companies have had “more than enough time to get their house in order” concerning online child safety. Her remarks precede a Monday announcement from the Prime Minister detailing new restrictions on social media access for teenagers. Nandy stated that if firms are “not prepared” to guarantee product safety, they “frankly lose the right to market their products towards children.”

Reports suggest the Prime Minister's announcement will include proposals to ban under-16s from certain social media platforms and implement a curfew for older teenagers. However, campaigner Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died by suicide after exposure to harmful online content, cautioned against “sledgehammer techniques like bans,” arguing they could exacerbate problems.

Russell expressed dismay at the proposed ban, suggesting the policy had been “rushed” for “a political reason.” He warned, “If he’s playing politics, what he’s doing is gambling with young people’s lives – and I find that deplorable.”

Nandy declined to pre-empt the Prime Minister’s specific announcements but affirmed that the focus was “how, not whether, we better protect children online.” She indicated that a “vast majority” of responses to a government consultation supported a social media ban for under-16s. While acknowledging that similar bans in Australia had shown some young people circumventing restrictions, Nandy contended that such measures “changes the presumption,” altering cultural norms for younger children regarding online spaces.