- The government is facing criticism for its approach to protecting children from harmful social media content.
- A proposed blanket ban on social media for under-16s, previously supported by the House of Lords, is facing potential reversal next week.
- Instead, the government is pushing for an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, suggesting adaptable powers to restrict children from "specified internet services" rather than a strict age limit.
- John Nash, who steered the ban in law through the Upper House, described the government's revised proposal as a "blank cheque" and urged MPs to vote for his earlier proposal to raise the age limit to 16.
- The government has also launched an online safety consultation, inviting public input on issues such as minimum age requirements and the disabling of addictive features on social media platforms.
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