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UK open to social media ban for kids as gov’t kicks off feasibility study

The U.K. government is not ruling out further beefing up existing online safety rules by adding an Australian-style ban on social media for under 16s

Enforcement of the regime is finally expected to start from next Spring — when Ofcom will actively take up powers that could lead to fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover for tech firms that fail to meet the law’s duty of care. In September DSIT announced that it is making sharing intimate images without consent a “priority offence” under the OSA — requiring social media and other in-scope platforms and services to clamp down on the abusive practice or face the risk of big fines. “The move effectively bumped up the severity of the intimate image abuse sharing offence within the Online Safety Act, so platforms have to be proactive in removing the content and prevent it from appearing in the first place,” DSIT spokesman Glen Mcalpine confirmed.

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