Social Media: Children
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, in what way new restrictions on children’s access to social media or online services will interact with the child safety duties in the Online Safety Act 2023; what steps she will take to ensure that new measures do not reduce existing platform duties of care; and whether Ofcom will be given additional enforcement powers or resources.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. That is why we are banning social media companies from offering services to under 16s, alongside preventing strangers communicating with under 16s and livestreaming on a broader range of online services. These protections are in addition to the Online Safety Act’s existing illegal harm and child safety duties.
The Secretary of State wrote to the new Ofcom chair setting out expectations for increased transparency and more robust action to enforce both the new restrictions and existing duties. We will ensure Ofcom has the necessary funding to implement these measures.
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