Andy Burnham has to shape the UK’s social media ban. Australia and France could show him how.
The U.K. can learn from Australia and France's attempts to kick kids off social media.
As Britain’s children return to school, Prime Minister Andy Burnham must determine how to restrict minors' access to social media. The UK is not alone in considering a social media ban for young users, with developments in Australia and France offering potential insights for Burnham's administration.
Australia became the first country to implement a social media ban for children in December last year. Recent findings indicate that while the ban has reduced the proportion of under-16s with social media accounts from 52.4 percent to 42.3 percent, it has not significantly impacted the overall number of children using social media platforms. This is due to the allowance for access via logged-out experiences, which remains permitted under the current regulations.
In contrast, France's proposed ban for under-15s was recently blocked by the Constitutional Council due to concerns over privacy, freedom of expression, and communication rights. This setback highlights the potential legal challenges the UK may face when implementing its own ban, despite relying on secondary legislation to expedite the process.
The UK's approach could differ from Australia's by encompassing both account ownership and access, potentially extending the ban to internet service providers. This more comprehensive measure was hinted at by the previous government through powers granted by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act. However, relying on secondary legislation means the government could face judicial scrutiny and opposition from tech companies and digital rights activists.
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