Good morning.<\/p>\n
Now before I start on social media\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
I want first to welcome the breakthrough reached last night between the US and Iran\u2026 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I congratulate President Trump, the mediators from Pakistan and\u00a0Qatar,\u00a0and all those involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is a hugely significant moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We have long called for deescalation. \u00a0<\/p>\n
And it is vital that all parties seize this opportunity\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
To secure stability in the region\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And\u00a0restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Which,\u00a0in turn will ease the\u00a0economic pressures felt by people here in the United Kingdom and around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And to ensure it turns into a durable, lasting peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
****\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now turning to social media\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
And can I say how great it is to see so many people here\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who played such a key role in the consultation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And you know – some people are dismissive of processes like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But policymaking that doesn\u2019t listen very carefully to the voices of those it seeks to serve\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That is not how this Government carries out its business.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And\u00a0so,\u00a0I just want to thank you for the role that you have all played\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And indeed – I want to thank all the people who have campaigned so courageously on this issue\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Including those who have done so after suffering terrible tragedy or loss\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Thank you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because today\u00a0is\u00a0a big moment for our country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This\u00a0is\u00a0a big step\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Real change for our children and our future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because today – I can announce\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That the Government will ban access to social media\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
For all children under the age of sixteen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is not something I do lightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I will not present it as cost-free\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if social media has brought no benefits to young people\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because clearly that is wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Government is always about choices.\u202f \u00a0<\/p>\n
And its clear to me that a full ban\u00a0is\u00a0the right choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now I come to it as a parent myself\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we\u2019re thinking about this issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You know, all I have ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is for them to be happy and for them to be safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I think that\u2019s what any parent wants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I ask the question now\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do we truly believe that it\u2019s a place where they can feel safe?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think I even need to answer those questions – do I?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every parent can see it with their own eyes\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Social media is making children unhappy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it could even be harming their mental health.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Exposing them to content that is dangerous\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because that\u2019s what grabs the attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s designed to be addictive – of course it is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Features like the infinite scroll\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019re designed to lock you in for hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And if nothing else, there\u2019s an opportunity cost to that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It stops children doing their homework\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reading\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Playing with their friends outside\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Going to bed at a decent hour. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that may not sound like much\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
But these are the activities that help a child develop into an\u00a0adult\u2026<\/p>\n
We know how important they are. \u00a0<\/p>\n
We just never thought that something would come along to threaten them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To be honest – I feel for this generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think back to my own childhood – and yes, the early 1970s weren\u2019t always a picnic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But we didn\u2019t have to deal with anything like this\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
A technology that intrudes into every corner of a life\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Almost impossible to escape\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That records every mistake. \u00a0<\/p>\n
To deal with that, as a teenager\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
On top of everything else\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I feel for parents too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I mean as a parent you always want to make the right choice for your child \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Which can face a little resistance in the teenage years\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Believe you me!\u00a0<\/p>\n
But parents just want to do the best for their kids\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a way that\u2019s what being a parent means.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in this world, with this technology\u2026 \u00a0<\/p>\n
It is hard as a parent to know what to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0And so, I think most parents will welcome this action\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think they will welcome a clear and decisive choice\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And they will welcome a\u00a0Government that stands by them\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That supports them to do the best for\u00a0their\u00a0children\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that fights, for their happiness and safety\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Against the most powerful companies in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because this could be a fight – and to this point it\u00a0has\u00a0been a fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it doesn\u2019t have to be – I always prefer the politics of partnership\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I fundamentally believe that we must harness the power of technology\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
To build a stronger, fairer Britain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But we must also protect our children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And\u00a0so,\u00a0I want this message to be heard loud and clear\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I am not prepared to compromise\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the safety and happiness of our children\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That is why this ban\u00a0must\u00a0happen\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That is why this ban\u00a0will\u00a0happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it won\u2019t be easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I mean some technology companies want us to think that social media is unchangeable\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Part of an almost natural order\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
But we have to resist that kind of learned helplessness\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We have agency\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We can change it and we will.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hard to legislate for\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hard to regulate\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hard to enforce. \u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why we\u2019ve sought a wide range of views on\u00a0this\u2026<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why we\u2019ve listened to people\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Had a conversation\u2026\u00a0\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve looked carefully at the evidence\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Learnt from countries, like Australia,\u00a0that are taking similar steps<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re not just bringing forward a ban\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re going further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re taking world-leading action on gaming services and livestreaming platforms\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where, at the moment, strangers can contact any child unchecked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just think about that\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is there a situation in the offline world\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where you would just let your child pair up\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a stranger\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
An adult that you don\u2019t know anything about?\u00a0<\/p>\n
No – so we\u2019re\u00a0taking action\u00a0on that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And look – we know perfectly well\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That we will have to adapt our approach as technology changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But, building on our experience with the Online Safety act\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u00a0do\u00a0have an understanding of how to apply age verification. \u00a0<\/p>\n
And because of powers we took in the Children\u2019s Wellbeing and Schools Act\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We can now move at pace\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And crucially – we\u00a0can\u00a0adapt as technology changes\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
We have those powers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So\u00a0we are ready and confident that this ban can be effective.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now – will it mean that no child ever logs onto social media again\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
No.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But look – this might shock you – but it doesn\u2019t shock parents of teenagers\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
They get around other laws too!\u00a0<\/p>\n
But we don\u2019t say – oh, look a teenager managed to \u00a0<\/p>\n
get a drink somehow\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
So\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0not bother banning alcohol sales to children –<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t do that do we?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That would be utterly ridiculous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And\u00a0so,\u00a0I just don\u2019t accept that argument.\u202f \u00a0<\/p>\n
Laws are rules\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
But they are also an expression of our values\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
They shape the social contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And\u00a0so\u00a0this will change the conversations that parents have\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the expectations of children, over time\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will make a huge difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will make our children safer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will make our children happier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will give them more time, more security, \u00a0<\/p>\n
more freedom to grow up\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
More opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that, at the end of the day is what this Government is about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is why so many of the investments that we\u2019ve made\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Are about supporting children and young people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In childcare\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
New nurseries,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Family hubs\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apprenticeships\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tackling child poverty\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mental health support\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Technical Colleges\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a youth guarantee for young people struggling to find work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And today – it\u2019s exactly the same approach\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now this isn\u2019t just about taking something away\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because we\u2019re also investing in music, culture, art, sport\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
All those activities that we know are so important to childhood\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Particularly for children who do not usually get \u00a0<\/p>\n
those opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So when you put all this together\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
These policies are not just fixes for our problem\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
They are the building blocks of a different Britain altogether\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
One where we know that our children are safe, happy and secure\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
To go as far as their talent and their effort will take them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That is all any parent wants\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
They want to know that Britain will be better for their children\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
that they will get a fair chance\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s what these changes are about\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Restoring that hope for every family\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stronger Britain\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
A fairer Britain\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And above all\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Britain where we invest in the future of every single child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That is why we are taking this step\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it is the right step for Britain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Good morning. Now before I start on social media\u2026 \u00a0 I want first to welcome the breakthrough reached…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294292,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-639676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=639676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=639676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=639676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=639676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}