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Social Media: Children

Asked by Paula BarkerLabourDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 27 January 2025UIN 24703

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning social media for under-16s.

Answered by Feryal Clark

We continue to consider all options in the pursuit of online safety for children. We live in a digital age and it is important we strike the right balance. Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so children can benefit from its wide-reaching protections as quickly as possible. We are building the evidence base to inform any future action and have launched a research project looking at the links between social media and children’s wellbeing.

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