Social media ban unenforceable, online safety charity warns

Social media ban unenforceable, online safety charity warnsJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleElla KiplingGetty ImagesThe government opened a consultation on children's social media use in JanuaryA social media ban for under-16s would not be enforceable and the government should instead focus on restricting the features that make it addictive, the chief executive of an online safety charity has said.Sir Keir Starmer is expected to share the government's online safety plans on Monday, following speculation over a potential blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media, as has been introduced in Australia.Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation which was set up in memory of Molly Russell, told BBC Breakfast he would be "dismayed" if the UK was to enforce a similar ban as the evidence "doesn't support" it.He said the focus should instead be on banning features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, and the algorithms that "bombard" children with harmful material.Russell FamilyMolly was 14 when she took her own life in 2017 after being exposed to self-harm content online.Burrows said that parents across the country were looking for "decisive action" from the government and the introduction of "measures that can actually succeed".This could include enforcing tougher restrictions on features which make social media addictive, such as banning autoplay, infinite scroll, and the algorithms that "bombard" children with harmful material.He said these features contributed to the harm that led to Molly's death.Burrows said that experts and organisations working on child safety "do not have confidence" in an Australia-style ban for under-16s.Australia introduced the ban in January, but in March, its eSafety Commission found that seven in 10 parents whose children already had a social media account said they were still on the platforms.Burrows told BBC Breakfast: &quo...