By Lauren Agnew, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, CEASE
CEASE strongly welcomes the Government’s decisive action to raise the age of access to 16 for social media.
Although staunch proponents of safety by design, we recognise the need for a circuit breaker to address the well-evidenced harms facing children whilst longer-term reforms take effect.
What the New Social Media Rules Will Cover
The Government has opted for an approach based on Australia’s model, while going further in several important respects. In addition to capturing user-to-user platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, the proposals would restrict under-16s’ access to certain high-risk online features, particularly livestreaming and direct communication with strangers.
These restrictions would apply not only to social media platforms but also to gaming and other online services that enable contact between users, extending the protections beyond social media alone.
AI “romantic companion” chatbots will also have minimum age restrictions of 18 enforced, with age restrictions also applying to similar intimate and relationship-simulating AI features more broadly.
Why Age Assurance Will Make or Break It
We are encouraged by the Government’s commitment to learn lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance measures to support compliance, making it harder for children to bypass safeguards. This is an important commitment, as concerns have been raised about the effectiveness and enforceability of Australia’s approach. Ultimately, the success of these measures will depend in large part on the strength and reliability of the age-assurance systems that underpin them.
From our perspective, the Government appear to have taken a holistic, considered and proportionate response to the evidence of the scale of harms posed both by what children are exposed to on social media, and the addictive design features that shape how they are exposed to it.
Nine in Ten Parents Back Raising the Age
This approach also appears to command broad public support. The Government’s consultation, one of the largest of its kind, found that around nine in ten parents and two-thirds of young people backed raising the age of access to social media.
The Sexual Harms CEASE Spotlighted
In our response to the Government’s consultation, we spotlighted multiple examples of social media’s sexual harms towards children.
These include but are not limited to:
- Platforms operating as predator’s playgrounds, exposing millions of children to unwanted contact with strangers and predators intent on grooming and exploitation, including through sextortion.
- Social media platforms acting as a “pipeline” to OnlyFans and online pornography, harmfully shaping children’s sexual norms.
- Children being algorithmically drip-fed sexualised content which falls short of pornography but nonetheless normalises sexual objectification and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours.
- Child-inappropriate experiences with AI chatbots “mimicking” friendships and relationships and leading to children developing unhealthy relationships with Bots instead of their peers.
The harms are significant, blatant and increasingly undeniable, and on the balance of evidence, they outweigh the benefits of social media for children.
Social Media Companies Are Not Neutral Intermediaries
It is vital to note that social media companies are not passive intermediaries providing a neutral space for children to interact. They actively engineer the environments in which children spend their time, using persuasive design and powerful algorithms to direct attention, encourage engagement and influence behaviour. CEASE is delighted to see the Government recognise this through their response.
The price for the privilege of access to children must be safety by design. Until and unless that can be guaranteed, we believe that children should be protected from the risks.
Some feel that yesterday’s announcement is heavy-handed, but the scale of the harms facing children demands a robust response. The Government has made clear that “Tech giants had their chance and failed.”
You Can Be Pro-Tech and Pro-Child Protection
The Prime Minister has asserted that it is possible to be pro-tech whilst also protecting children. CEASE strongly agrees. Supporting innovation does not require us to accept avoidable risks to children. We support technology that is safe by design, alongside stronger age protections for platforms and functionalities that expose children to harm. Technological innovation and child protection should go hand in hand.
A Circuit Breaker, Not a Silver Bullet
If social media platforms removed many of the features of concern which cause harm, the online world would undoubtedly be a safer place for children. Raising the age of access in the immediate is the right move, but it is not a silver bullet and should not be seen as a substitute for wider reform. It must be accompanied by a strong commitment to safety by design, effective online safety measures and high-quality education- particularly important if we are to future-proof protections for children as new technologies, platforms and digital services emerge.
However, until that happens, we don’t think that children should be left exposed to known risks.
Why CEASE Supports Acting Now
If a building is structurally unsafe, we don’t wait for someone to be injured before restricting access. We keep people out of the building whilst it’s being repaired and until it is safe.
On this basis, and given that child protection is at stake, the Government’s intervention is a necessary circuit breaker to reduce harms and help keep children safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new minimum age to access social media?
The Government is raising the age of access to 16 for social media.
Which platforms and services are affected?
User-to-user platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, as well as gaming and other online services that enable contact between users.
What new restrictions will apply to under-16s?
The proposals would restrict under-16s’ access to certain high-risk online features, particularly livestreaming and direct communication with strangers.
What age restriction applies to AI companion chatbots?
AI “romantic companion” chatbots will have minimum age restrictions of 18 enforced, with age restrictions also applying to similar intimate and relationship-simulating AI features more broadly.
How much public support is there for the change?
Around nine in ten parents and two-thirds of young people backed raising the age of access to social media.
Does CEASE support raising the age to 16?
Yes. CEASE strongly welcomes the Government’s decisive action and views it as a necessary circuit breaker to reduce harms and help keep children safe.
Is raising the age of access a complete solution?
No. It is the right move, but it is not a silver bullet and should not be seen as a substitute for wider reform, including safety by design, effective online safety measures and high-quality education.