I'm concerned that a ban is one of the likely outcomes of the consultation. I don't think it's the right way to tackle this. It's not only children who are victims in this, although they are the most tragic ones. Social media platforms affect us all. Regulation of functionality and design patterns is in my opinion a better option, although the optics of such doesn't give the picture of a decisive government in quite the same way as a ban.

Requiring ID to use social media puts the onus on the users. The onus should be on the platforms.

Has anyone tried talking to the children - y’ know, asking them if they’re ok and stuff - instead of just kneejerk legislating even more of their childhood away?

I’m not British, but from the outside it seems the meeting could give an unpopular Starmer a saviour story he desperately needs, and an ID-based system would let big tech have its way with citizens: the algorithms tearing our societies apart remain unchallenged and profitable.

Politicians love the idea of a social media ban for kids because they don't have to do much, but it looks like they're doing a lot.

This will be the excuse to make VPNs illegal. Very convenient.

About time. It only takes one speech to step down Sir Keir.

Improve education? No!

4day workweek at same pay to give more time for parenting? No!

Tax the rich and their wealth to expand social services and improve education? Also no!

Invade all our privacy with a measure easily circumvented? Ding ding ding! Winner winner 🏆!

How do these people look at themselves in the mirror and think they are looking at a good person???

Isolating young people from, in many cases, their only way to participate in communities of people they have anything in common with is supposed to be good for them? Reduce suicide rates?

Even disregarding the privacy problems, it's just an evil idea in the first place. The Internet is exactly (!) where young people belong.

Oh look... turns out that that the greatest perpetrators of child abuse is still - drumroll, please - parents!

Golly gee! Who coulda thunk it? I do wonder which part of the other 24% qualifies as "internet"?

But then again... unlike the internet, child abuse does not threaten western liberalism's most precious little genocidal white supremacist settler-colonialism project in the middle-east with truth - so that doesn't concern liberal génocidaires like Starmer.

hey starmer it wasn't social media that killed brianna ghey it was the culture of transphobia peddled by your own government you fucking ghoul.