The father of a teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful content online has said he is “dismayed” by reports the government is to ban young people from using some social media platforms.<\/p>\n
Ian Russell has campaigned for better online protections since his daughter Molly died aged 14. But he has said “sledgehammer techniques like bans” would only cause more problems.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce a crackdown on children’s access to social media next week. Russell told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the process had been “rushed” for political reasons, which he called “deplorable.”<\/p>\n
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We have undertaken a thorough consultation and will set out next steps in due course.”<\/p>\n
They added: “The prime minister has been clear that the status quo is not good enough and we need to do more to protect children.<\/p>\n
“This is not about politics – it is about protecting children.”<\/p>\n
Ahead of the expected announcement, ministers have examined a variety of options for restrictions. They include a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media as has been introduced in Australia.<\/p>\n
The details have not been made public. But some media reports have suggested under-16s could banned from accessing “high-risk” social media platforms, while safer ones would be subjected to restrictions. <\/p>\n