Bereaved families want tougher social media measures to protect teens
Bereaved families and MPs believe social media platforms have “no accountability” for the “horrific” content younger teenagers can access.
Stuart Stephens and Labour MP Josh McAlister have urged the UK government to do more to protect children from the harmful effects of social media.
It comes after Australia announced it would prevent under 16s from creating accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and other apps.
Mr Stephens is campaigning for measures that are more robust after his son was murdered following an incendiary row which began online.
The 13-year-old was later stabbed to death by two other teenagers.
His father now wants to prevent other children from being “bombarded” with content that escalates conflicts and affects their mental health.
“I firmly believe that I lost my son because of weak governance and poor legislation, full stop, which is why we are doing what we are doing,” Mr. Stephens said.
He has also backed a bill being privately drafted by McAlister, which aims to increase the minimum sign-up age from 13 to 16.
While the Online Safety Act is set to come into force in 2025, there is a feeling it doesn’t go far enough.
Ministers have informed tech companies they will be sanctioned if they continue failing to root out malicious content, but critics want action, not platitudes.
A complete ban for younger teens looks unlikely, though, and some parents are already taking matters into their own hands.
Sky News spoke to several parents who feel conflicted about restricting smartphone usage, as it results in kids feeling left out of social circles.
The NSPCC is also wary of ultra-strict measures.
The charity’s chief executive says “children deserve to have age-appropriate experiences” rather than being “cut off” entirely.