Internet: Children
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether addictive design features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithmic recommendation systems, streaks, livestreaming and stranger-pairing functionality will be treated as relevant harms when determining age-appropriate access for children.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
The Government recognises the harms caused by particular design features on online services such as social media. That is why on 2 March we launched a consultation seeking views on a range of restrictions, including a minimum age for social media and restrictions on particular design features.
On 15 June , we announced that we will be banning social media companies offering their services to under 16s. The government aims to use the same definition of social media as Australia, which covers user to user platforms whose purpose is to enable social interaction, and which allow users to post material alongside algorithms.
Harmful functionalities including communicating with strangers and creating livestreams will be restricted for under-16s on online services, including gaming. These functionalities will be off by default for 16 and 17 year olds.
As the Secretary of State outlined, she is also considering further default overnight restrictions and restrictions on persuasive design features, such as infinite scroll for 16 and 17 year olds.
The government is committed to addressing functionalities posing the greatest risks to children.
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