\u201cWhen that ban starts to unravel, which is what seems to be happening in Australia, the Prime Minister, maybe in six months\u2019 time, will be left questioning, why did you not listen to the experts who unanimously say you should follow the evidence and tackle the harm at source.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s the direction that the Government goes in, I feel I would be completely let down as a bereaved parent. I fear for the effect it would have on young people, because the harmful content would be untouched. It would remain on the platforms. It would remain there for young people to find.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bans \u2018let tech firms off hook\u2019<\/p>\n
It is not just that Mr Russell believes bans let tech firms off the hook for cleaning up their sites, but there is the almost ingenuity children will show in circumventing any ban. He cites cases of children sneaking into their parents\u2019 bedroom to use their sleeping faces to unlock devices or painting moustaches on their upper lips.<\/p>\n
What Mr Russell wants is for the social media firms to be forced to make their sites safe, just like a car rolling off a production line is required by law to meet set safety standards. \u201cYou say that infinite scroll wouldn\u2019t be allowed for children on a platform, you could say that autoplay wouldn\u2019t be allowed for videos,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could say that on messaging apps strangers shouldn\u2019t be allowed to connect and chat to young people. You could say your algorithms must be designed not to recommend harmful content. You could monitor that, you can check that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burnham \u2018open to ideas\u2019<\/p>\n
Mr Russell met Mr Burnham on the Friday after Labour\u2019s historic wipe-out in the local May elections. He said the Mayor of Greater Manchester appeared open to his thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was really open to saying that banning children rather than banning harmful practices was wrong, that change has to come by compelling the platforms to change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n