A Labour MP’s bill to prevent children from “doom scrolling” on social media is expected to get government backing today, after its proposals were watered down.
Josh MacAlister, a former teacher, has been campaigning for tighter limits on younger teenagers spending hours a week on apps such as TikTok and Snapchat.
He told Sky News that today’s bill, which will be debated by MPs, was a “meaningful first step” towards making children safer online and hoped it would be “just the start” of government action on the issue.
The MP had originally called for a smartphone ban in schools, tougher action by Ofcom and raising the “digital age of consent” at which children can use most social media to 16.
But in the face of ministerial opposition, his bill now just calls for chief medical officers to review the evidence on screen-based harms – which was last looked at in 2019 – within a year.
When that review is complete, the government must decide whether there is a case to raise the age at which children can use social media from the current age of 13.
Mr MacAlister said: “We’ve managed to persuade lots of MPs and make a big noise about this issue, which is that for too many children, smartphones and social media are really addictive and taking a lot of their time and attention.
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“That issue for too long hasn’t been debated in parliament. My private members’ bill will get the government to come back within a year on the question of raising the age of digital consent, and that would be a really important step forward in this campaign to make sure that parliament takes these issues seriously.
“We chose 13 a long, long time ago. Is that right? You know, in Norway it’s 15. In France it’s 15. I’m asking them to consider, ‘should we be setting it at a higher age?’
“Different countries are trying different things out, but they all start with the same common problem, which is kids spending lots of time online that they used to spend in real life outdoors, doing things with their friends.”
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Charities urge minister to back bill
Asked if he was disappointed that ministers had not been willing to go further, he said: “This is just the start. If you look back at previous debates about smoking or car seatbelts, often it was dozens of pieces of legislation that led to the conclusion.”
Mr MacAlister, the MP for Whitehaven and Workington, will tell MPs that changing the age at which a child can consent for their data to be shared online to 16 would give parents more control, and force platforms to enforce more rigorous age verification.
A minister will respond to the plans, which have attracted cross-party support. It’s expected that the government will agree to take the proposals further.
Ten children’s charities, including Barnardo’s and the NSPCC, have written to Peter Kyle urging him to support the bill, saying that the online world poses “significant risks to children” and that “current legislation does not go far enough” in restricting screen time.
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It’s understood that the tech secretary wanted to make sure the Online Safety Act, which was passed by MPs in 2023 and is being implemented in stages this year, is completed first. It intends to protect young people from illegal and harmful content.
The government has opposed a smartphone ban in schools, saying this should be up to headteachers.
Today, the most extensive polling of young people aged 16-24 shows that 62% of this age group say social media does more harm than good, both men and women.
Only 22% of the 2,000 young adults polled by the company More in Common think it does more good than harm.
Four in five of this age group also say they would try to keep their own children off social media for as long as possible.
Half of this generation, who grew up with smartphones, agree they spent too much time on their phones and social media during childhood.
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‘This isn’t just parents’
Anna McShane, director of The New Britain Project, which commissioned the polling, said: “This isn’t just parents worrying about their kids, young people themselves are saying social media has become more addictive, more negative, and more harmful.
“They’ve grown up with it, and now they’re warning us about its dangers.”
A Department for Technology spokesperson added: “We are committed to keeping young people safe online whilst also ensuring they can benefit from the latest technology.
“By the summer, robust new protections for children will be in force through the Online Safety Act to protect them from harmful content and ensure they have an age-appropriate experience online.
“The government’s response to the private members’ bill will follow during second reading of the bill, as per parliamentary process.”
