10/07/2026
๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง
Young People are now likely aware of the Governmentโs recent announcement to completely ban all social media for everyone aged under 16 years-old.
As Young Liberals, we intend to stand for the safety and interests of all Young People; which is why we think it is only right to give our view on the proposed ban.
Whilst we appreciate the Government is acknowledging the harm that social media and its harmful content is having on Young People and children, ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ, it merely puts a plaster over the ever-expanding cracks.
Tech corporations have been allowed to abuse a system that has allowed abusive generated content via deepfakes and AI and predatory advertisements (usually in the form of โCookiesโ). This ban for Young People effectively puts the blame on individuals for being fed this content, rather than condemning the corporations that have allowed it to be shared.
Taunton and Wellington Liberal Democratsโ Youth Champion, Jacob, has called the ban โ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ.โ
Young Liberals support the Liberal Democratโs proposal that would implement a film style age-rating system for social media, rather than outright ban under-16s.
This initiative focuses on holding tech companies to account and giving regulators ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐.
This would have ensured Young People could still access safe online content, including educational websites and communication channels between family and friends, but the Labour Government chose not to proceed this way.
As well as this, everyone will have to verify their age by providing identifiable proof of oneโs age. So, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐,, regardless of age.
๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฌ.
Labour were emphatically told NO to Digital IDs last year, but it seems they have found a strategy to implement their plan regardless of public and parliamentary disapproval.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐โ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ; it cannot be allowed to go through in its current format.
We will be discussing this, and how else we want to support Young People, in our upcoming Conversation with Gideon Amos MP.
The event is for anyone aged under-30 keen to learn more about how they can get involved with local politics, and it is free for all Young Liberals (a registered Member of the Lib
Dem party aged 30 or under).
Please message us if you would like more information about the event, or how to join our campaign efforts for better living standards for all.
If you are not a member of the Liberal Democrats, you can become one, for only ยฃ15 a year, by following this link: https://libdems.my.salesforce-sites.com/LiberalDemocrats/NewMemberLocal
We look forward to seeing you there!
