'Retrograde' UK experts warn against Australia-style ban

Leading child-safety experts have warned the UK government against enacting an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, which they called a "retrograde step" that would "do more harm than good".

- Sammy Gecsoyler Dan Milmo

On Thursday, Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from using social media platforms. The move was supported by a large majority of the Australian public but academics, politicians and child-rights groups warned it could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web or making them feel more isolated.

These concerns were echoed by UK child-safety experts who called the ban "retrograde" and said a similar move in Britain would "penalise children for the failures of tech companies".

Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, has indicated the UK could follow Australia's lead in the future. Last week, he told the BBC's Today programme that a similar ban was "on the table" before saying days later that such a move was "not on the cards" for now.