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Social media ban for under-16s 'on the table' in UK

The tech secretary Peter Kyle also said he wanted an "assertive" approach from the regulator, Ofcom.

Kyle said he wanted to see evidence that tech firms were delivering suitable age verification for users, and that the sector was moving towards having "safety baked in from the outset." He also announced further research into the impact tech such as smartphones and social media was having on young people, claiming there was currently "no firm, peer-reviewed evidence". Campaign group the Molly Rose Foundation welcomed what it called an "important marker for Ofcom to be bolder" but said that should not obscure the fact that the OSA needed to be strengthened.

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