UK social media ban expansion for under-16s could cover YouTube Kids

Résumé détaillé

Regulations under consideration could affect up to 150 platforms, including LegoPlay, Spotify and eBay, sources sayA substantial expansion of the social media ban for under-16s…

Regulations under consideration could affect up to 150 platforms, including LegoPlay, Spotify and eBay, sources say

A substantial expansion of the social media ban for under-16s could inadvertently lead to a ban on YouTube Kids and other sites that had been thought exempt, sources briefed on the government’s proposals have said.

One source close to the talks said the regulations now under consideration meant up to 150 platforms, including games platforms such as Lego Play, could be covered by the ban, which is set to come into force in March.

The regulations will be sent for cabinet signoff this week, and the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, is expected to lay them in parliament in December.

Ministers are understood to be keen for a catch-all approach that limits ban workarounds. Critics of Australia’s social media prohibition say teenagers have switched to new platforms or found innovative ways of messaging using other seemingly innocuous sites.

Tech companies, industry groups and MPs have been briefed that the government’s working proposal focuses on recommender systems and user-generated content.

Spotify – which has some user-generated content and shows recommended music or podcasts – could technically be in scope if those proposals are enacted, though the music streaming site has sought reassurances that it would not face a ban because it is not primarily a social platform.

One industry source said: “We all share the goal of keeping teenagers safe online. Proposals have to be workable, and a situation where eBay, Lego, YouTube Kids and Spotify aren’t clear whether they comply is unsustainable. Detailed guidelines can’t come soon enough.”

Another said: “The whole internet has a recommender system. The regulation is just too broad. But they want to make it really broad and legally airtight so they can be prepared for any eventuality.”

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