Putting Children’s Safety First in the Social Media Age

Over recent months, I’ve heard from many local parents about the Government’s consultation on children and social media, including a powerful message from a constituent who put it simply: “If tech companies cannot make their products safe for children, they should not have access to children.” 

As a parent myself, I agree that families are being left to shoulder far too much of the burden. Parents know the risks: harmful content, addictive design, unhealthy pressures. But it’s impossible for individual households to take on global tech giants alone. People are crying out for real, meaningful change, not tokenistic tweaks. 

Liberal Democrats have been clear from the start: a blanket ban on under‑16s is a blunt instrument that won’t work today. Instead, it would cut children off from useful tools like Wikipedia for homework or family WhatsApp groups, and it risks harming the very young people who rely on online spaces the most. 

Instead, we’re calling for a film‑style age‑rating system for social media, so platforms are judged on the risks they pose - with the most harmful, adult‑only platforms restricted to adults only. We’re also pushing for stronger protections, including a “doomscrolling cap” for under‑18s, raising the digital age of consent to 16, and creating an independent children’s online safety advocate to act as a watchdog for young people’s rights. 

I’ve already backed cross‑party amendments in Parliament and launched surveys for local parents and students to feed into the consultation. And I will continue raising this issue with ministers as they draw up their final proposals in the coming weeks. 

This is an opportunity to make a tangible different to the lives of young people and their families. I’ll keep standing up for strong, lasting protections, and I’ll continue engaging with local groups, including the growing Smartphone Free Childhood community, to make sure families’ voices are heard.