UK police chiefs say unsafe social media platforms should be blocked for under-16s
The UK's National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) called for unsafe social media platforms to be blocked for users aged under 16 under the Online Safety Act framework. The proposal would require regulator Ofcom to introduce a new category. The government said it is considering NPCC inputs for the Children's Safety White Paper due this autumn.
NPCC lead for child protection Becky Riggs told the BBC that platforms should be 'compelled by statutory duty' rather than relying on voluntary compliance. The proposal cites a 32 percent rise in child exploitation, suicide-direction and cyberbullying cases over the past year. NPCC also proposed a risk-assessment template to identify platforms with weaker age-verification.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said in her briefing that the proposals are being 'taken seriously', while shadow secretary Saqib Bhatti said the law 'falls short of original objectives'. Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes emphasised that 'category blocking decisions sit with the regulator'. NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood said the 'first big enforcement test of the Online Safety Act is approaching'.
BBC technology correspondent Zoe Kleinman noted that potential penalties for Meta, TikTok and Snap can reach 10 percent of annual global revenue. UK Tech Industry chair Helen Buchan said any decision should be 'proportionate'. The government's Children's Safety White Paper is expected on 24 September.
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