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MPs have called for tougher regulations on social media companies, arguing that they must share responsibility for preventing online harm to young people. The government is considering new laws to keep children safe online as part of its "Growing up in the online world" consultation.
The UK's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee urges stronger action to protect children from social media harms.Committee recommends stricter regulations on social media companies to prevent harmful content and protect users.Effective age verification systems are necessary to prevent children from accessing unsuitable content.Companies should filter out illegal content and block children from viewing harmful material.
The UK's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has urged the government to take stronger action to protect children from the harms of social media. In a letter to Liz Kendall and Kanishka Narayan, shared with The Register, the committee argued that social media companies should face stricter regulations and be held accountable for the impact their platforms have on young users.
The committee's chair, Chi Onwurah, stated that "the status quo, where social media companies are neither accountable nor responsible for preventing harms, isn't acceptable." If any other consumer product caused these harms, it would've been recalled or changed. This statement highlights the committee's concern that social media companies are not doing enough to prevent harmful content and protect their users, particularly children.
The intervention comes as part of the government's "Growing up in the online world" consultation, which aims to explore ways to keep children safe online. The committee heard evidence from a range of experts and stakeholders, including clinicians, bereaved parents, academics, child safety groups, and young people themselves.
One of the key areas of concern for the committee is the lack of effective age verification systems. While there are existing age restrictions in place, these can be easily bypassed by users who want to access content that is intended for older audiences. The committee believes that this is a result of inadequate regulations and enforcement.
To address this issue, the committee recommends that companies use "effective and privacy-preserving" age verification systems that can accurately determine the age of users. This would help to prevent children from accessing content that is not suitable for their age group.
Another area of concern is the presence of illegal content on social media platforms. The committee heard evidence that some platforms are not doing enough to filter out this content, which can have serious consequences for users who come across it.
To address this issue, the committee recommends that companies be required to filter out illegal content and block children from viewing harmful material. This would help to keep young people safe online and prevent them from coming into contact with content that could harm them.
The committee's recommendations are aimed at improving the online safety of children in the UK. By taking a more proactive approach to regulating social media companies, the government can help to create a safer online environment for young people.
In conclusion, the UK Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has urged the government to take stronger action to protect children from the harms of social media. The committee's recommendations are aimed at improving the online safety of children in the UK by promoting more effective age verification systems and stricter regulations on illegal content.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/MPs-Urge-Government-to-Tackle-Online-Safety-Concerns-Social-Media-Companies-Must-Share-Responsibility-ehn.shtml
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/05/15/mps-want-social-media-treated-more-like-unsafe-toys-than-harmless-apps/5240578
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93vdxy3kxlo
Published: Fri May 15 04:41:13 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
