Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE MP has welcomed confirmation from the Government that age or functionality restrictions on social media for children under the age of 16 will be introduced, following sustained campaigning and growing concern about children’s online safety.
The announcement comes after months of debate in Parliament and a public consultation involving parents, schools, young people and child safety campaigners. Concerns have repeatedly been raised about the impact of social media on mental health, wellbeing, attention, and exposure to harmful content, particularly for younger users.
Julian has consistently supported stronger action to protect children online and has previously voted for measures meaning phones will be banned in schools by law, and to raise the social media age to 16.
Commenting on the announcement, Julian said, “I want to thank everyone who contacted me and supported efforts to push the government on protecting children from harmful social media. Ministers have now agreed to introduce restrictions for under‑16s, which is a significant step forward. It is welcome news for children and parents alike, and the next challenge will be ensuring the measures are robust and effective."
The proposed restrictions are expected to be introduced through forthcoming regulations once the consultation process is complete.
