The Government has finally u-turned on banning under 16s from social media after sustained pressure from the Conservatives. This is an incredibly welcome move.
Labour repeatedly said this wasn’t necessary and dismissed it as a gimmick, yet they’ve now quietly changed course and agreed. Just days ago, we forced a vote on this issue and they refused to back us.
Children are being exposed to graphic and harmful content online every day. We already recognise the need to protect young people when it comes to things like cigarettes and alcohol and social media should be no different.
Protecting children must always come first. This move must now be followed by clear measures that actually keep children safe online and we will continue pushing for stronger safeguards to protect young people.
