STORY
The Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has called for stronger action on social media harms after responding to the Government’s consultation on growing up in the online world. The committee said there was strong and consistent evidence of significant harm to individuals from social media use, particularly among young people.
Dame Chi Onwurah (in photo), the committee chair, said the status quo was not acceptable and argued that responsibility for preventing harm should not rest primarily on young people or parents. The committee has called for more effective enforcement of existing age restrictions and for ministers to revisit previous recommendations on misinformation and harmful algorithms.
The intervention comes as ministers consider further online safety measures in the new parliamentary session. Any legislation in this area is likely to attract close scrutiny over the responsibilities placed on technology companies, the role of parents and schools, and the balance between child protection, free expression and digital innovation.