{
  "id": 10876588,
  "title": "Nandy says children’s social media ban only ‘staging post’ in online safety drive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/nandy-says-childrens-social-media-ban-only-staging-post-in-online",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-30T05:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/30/lisa-nandy-social-media-ban-online-safety-culture-secretary"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated that the UK government's online safety crackdown, which includes a ban on under-16s from accessing \"high-risk\" social media platforms, is only a \"staging post\" in the broader effort to make the internet safer. Earlier this year, the government announced additional measures, including restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds on websites that allow endless scrolling and algorithmic content, as well as stricter age-verification checks, which will be implemented in March.\n\nNandy warned that the government's stance is not finished and vowed to go further in policing and regulating the online space to ensure the safety of individuals. She emphasized that the UK would be pioneers of tech as a force for good, promoting genuinely safe, inclusive, and empowering online spaces. Nandy praised former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Technology Secretary Liz Kendall for announcing the ban in June, but felt there had been a \"step change\" in the government's approach under the current administration.\n\nComparing social media to real-world civic spaces, Nandy questioned the justification for removing children entirely from social media when they are perceived as so harmful and dangerous. She argued that the era of completely removing children from online spaces must end. The consultation on the ban received over 116,000 responses, with 85% of parents believing the risks of social media outweigh any benefits.\n\nNandy highlighted the government's willingness to challenge big tech companies, even if it risks disapproval from US authorities. She noted that the internet is the only technology to have been entirely outsourced to the private sector, with no role for the state, and emphasized that this approach is not acceptable. She ordered tech companies to her office, expressing her dismay that representatives from X failed to attend, and acknowledged the challenges of enforcing regulations.\n\nNandy welcomed the suggestion of a \"public service algorithm\" that could compete with big tech, aligning with the vision of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. She believed that investing in and shaping technology would help win public permission to take action to protect people, particularly children, from online harm.",
  "summary": "Exclusive: Culture secretary says UK will crack down further and be ‘pioneer of tech as a force for good’ Lisa Nandy has warned technology firms that the government’s online safety crackdown is not finished, saying that banning under-16s from social media platforms is only a “staging post”. Earlier this year the government announced that teenagers under the age of 16 would be banned from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}