A coalition of 60 Labour parliamentarians have written directly to Keir Starmer, pressing him to champion a suggested prohibition on social media access for children under 16, prior to a parliamentary vote in the House of Lords this week.
Broad Pressure Mounts
The lawmakers, who include select committee chairs, past shadow ministers and representatives from across the party's spectrum, are looking to apply pressure on the administration. This comes as growing calls for the UK to follow the lead of Australia, which implemented a parallel restriction last December.
While Starmer has stated he is open to the idea, members of the House of Lords are looking to force the issue by means of an amendment to the current schools bill. This amendment would require the implementation of a prohibition one year of the act receiving royal assent.
“Throughout the communities we represent, we are told the same story: children are anxious, unhappy, and finding it hard to focus on learning. They are lacking the interpersonal skills needed to flourish.”
Global Precedent
The missive, which was organised by Labour MP Fred Thomas, adds that “Around the world, governments are accepting the severity of this crisis and implementing measures.” It notes current or planned legislation in countries like France, Norway, New Zealand, Greece and Denmark.
“We believe the burden must be shifted to technology platforms, not parents, to stop access by minors,” the MPs argue. “We would back a model akin to Australia’s that compels companies to take significant action to uphold age limits.”
Policy Challenges
This show of strength from MPs adds further scrutiny on the Prime Minister. While he has previously expressed doubts about the workability of a ban, he recently informed MPs he was open in principle to the idea.
Yet, in recent days, officials have highlighted concerns that a ban could unintentionally drive children toward less-regulated online spaces. They have insisted on the need to assess further information from the Australian experiment before deciding on a UK version.
“In principle, Keir is for a ban. We can all see the harms and are anxious about what is happening to children and teenagers,” stated an associate. “But there are still major challenges to overcome with implementation. We need to proceed carefully and make sure we do this properly.”
Upcoming Vote
The Prime Minister's position will face a practical test this week when peers vote on the amendment by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the children's wellbeing bill proposes introducing an age limit within a year the bill's passage.
Although the Labour leadership has not stated its stance on the amendment, several Labour peers are likely to support it irrespective of any party whip.
Among them is ex-parliamentarian Luciana Berger, who has co-signed Lord Nash's amendment. She commented: “The proposal for raising the social media age limit commands significant public support – across the country and within the Labour party. Social media is catastrophically harming children and we must take immediate action to safeguard them.”
