Location: United Kingdom
The Prime Minister and Technology Secretary have announced “new action to strengthen protections for children as technology continues to evolve at pace”.
Responding to the announcement, Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“The Prime Minister is right to say that the status quo cannot be allowed to continue when it comes to children’s experiences of social media.
“It is encouraging to see the government’s commitment to moving at pace to protect children online. We know that children and young people are growing up in a digital world that, more often than not, is designed to drive profits rather than support children’s wellbeing and development. This is unacceptable.
“Platforms use all sorts of tricks to demand children’s attention, using algorithmic content serving and features like endless scroll to keep them glued to content, which can often include material that makes them feel bad about their bodies, spreads hate and misinformation, or even promotes eating disorders and self-harm.
“Children deserve an online world that they are in control of, which respects them and their mental health, and which is appropriate for their developmental stage. These will be the criteria we use to assess whether the government’s plans meet with success. The existing Online Safety Act gives them the power to make many of these changes already.
“We look forward to seeing the details of the government’s new approach: it is vital that the next steps are bold, evidence led, and will genuinely improve young people’s mental health.”