Ministers open-minded on shape of UK social media limits, Phillipson says

Children in the UK will face restrictions on their use of social media but the government remains open-minded about what form the limits will take, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has said.

Phillipson told broadcasters on Tuesday she had concerns about the content that under-16s were exposed to online and the length of time they spent staring at screens.

Late on Monday a junior minister told the Commons that the government would introduce “age or functionality restrictions” on social media for under-16s.

There have been widespread calls for an Australia-style ban on children’s use of social media, and the UK government has begun a consultation on access for under-16s.

Measures under consideration include age restrictions on social media as well as other services such as gaming sites and AI chatbots. However, the UK government had not made any firm commitments on likely action until the late intervention during wrangling to get the children’s wellbeing and schools bill through parliament.

On Tuesday, Phillipson told Times Radio: “It’s not a question of whether we take further action to protect young people, it’s the shape of that action, what that looks like. And there are a range of views, sincerely held, from campaigners, from families, who have different views as to how we can seek to get this right.”

Asked for her view, she said: “I am genuinely open-minded, as I think a lot of people are, on wanting to see further action to keep young people safe online, wanting to reduce the harms, especially around some of the addictive nature of what young people are exposed to, but wanting to make sure that whatever measures we take forward, whatever shape that has, it stands the test of time, it works, and that it’s effective.

“And there are a number of different ways in which that can be achieved, and that’s why we’ve got a consultation to hear from people how we can do that, how we can make sure that it works, and how we can do everything within our power to keep children safe.”

On Monday night the education minister Olivia Bailey told the Commons: “The government has said repeatedly that it is a question of how we act, not if, but to put it beyond any doubt, we are playing a clear statutory requirement that the secretary of state must, rather than may, act following the consultation.

“This brings forward regulations without pre-empting the consultation’s outcomes and does not ignore the tens of thousands of parents and children who have already engaged with us.”

She said “the status quo cannot continue” and added: “We are clear that under any outcome, we will impose some form of age or functionality restrictions for children under 16.”

The concession by the government came after pressure from the House of Lords over the issue, led by Tory former education minister and academy chain founder John Nash. Peers have voted four times to press the Commons into accepting an outright ban.