Social media restrictions for children ‘need to stand test of time’ – Phillipson

NewsUKUK PoliticsSocial media restrictions for children ‘need to stand test of time’ – PhillipsonThe Education Secretary said it is ‘not a question of whether we take further action to protect young people, it’s the shape of that action.’David Hughes Tuesday 28 April 2026 08:20 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"9cad3ad6-d9af-40db-95ac-1a61ca3373c5","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/children-bridget-phillipson-government-b2966164.html","title":"Social media restrictions for children ‘need to stand test of time’ – Phillipson"}}open image in gallery{"id":"trigger-autogallery-1531","index":0}(Alamy/PA) (Alamy/PA)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read more{}Children will face restrictions on their use of social media even if the Government stops short of an outright ban.Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she had concerns about the content under-16s were exposed to online and the length of time they spend staring at screens.In the Commons late on Monday the Government said it will introduce “age or functionality restrictions” on social media for under-16s.There have been widespread calls for an Australian-style ban on children’s use of social media, although there have been questions about how effective that prohibition has been.if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", renderedAtParagraph: 3'); }if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", injectedAtParagraph: 4'); }The Government had already begun a consultation on access to technology for under-16s, and had floated measures such as age restrictions on social media as well as other services such as gaming sites and AI chatbots.However, it had not made any firm commitments on likely action until the late intervention during Westminster wrangling to get the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill through Parliament.if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "taboola-carousel-thumbnails", injectedAtParagraph: 6'); }Ms Phillipson told Times Radio: “It’s not a question of whether we take further action to protect young people, it’s the shape of that action, what that looks like.“And there are a range of views, sincerely held, from…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at The Independent.