Labour social media ban unlikely to make children safer online

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Social media firms told the UK government yesterday that blocking their services for under-16s will lead children to less safe platforms. The ban will be enacted by spring and covers Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. Big tech may have a point. A blanket ban will deliver some legacy-building headlines for Keir Starmer, but does nothing to address specific algorithmic pressures that can drive social media users of any age towards harmful content. It will also be easy for young people to find alternatives without having to go anywhere near the darker corners of the internet. WhatsApp and Signal, which both have picture and video capabilities, are end-to-end encrypted and not covered by the ban.