The government plans to impose significant fines on social media companies like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for allowing children on their platforms. In the upcoming legislation on online spaces, known as the Online Safety Bill, Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan stated that these firms must deactivate accounts of underage children or face penalties. Donelan emphasized that even accounts belonging to children as young as eight or nine years old would have to be deactivated to protect their well-being, as the consequences for young people accessing social media at such a young age can be detrimental.
According to a report by the regulator Ofcom, despite the minimum age requirement for most social media sites being 13, 60 percent of children aged 8-11 stated that they had a social media profile, while 33 percent of children aged 5-7 also reported having one. Donelan expressed concern over young children accessing platforms and being exposed to inappropriate content like pornography, emphasizing that setting children up for happy and successful lives requires appropriate safeguards.
The regulator will play a crucial role in enforcing the law, and social media companies found to be allowing users under the age of 13 could face substantial fines. Donelan warned that continued non-compliance could even lead to potential criminal liability for these companies. The government intends to publish a draft code of practice before Christmas, outlining the necessary measures to prevent under-13s from accessing social media platforms.
The Online Safety Bill will not only impact social media giants like Google, Twitter, and Meta (formerly Facebook), but also impose a code of conduct overseen by Ofcom. The bill aims to combat “legal but harmful” content by requiring platforms to conduct risk assessments and outline their plans for addressing various harms in their terms of service. If companies fail to comply with the law, Ofcom will have the power to fine them up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover.
Children’s rights advocates, including Bereaved Families for Online Safety, have welcomed the bill. However, critics have voiced concerns about potential restrictions on free speech. Matthew Lesh and Victoria Hewson of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) warned that the bill’s scope and reach threaten free speech, privacy, and innovation. They expressed apprehension over the immense regulatory burdens placed on platforms and the broad powers granted to the secretary of state and Ofcom, with limited oversight from other institutions.