Uswitch comments on the social media ban announcement for under-16s

Ernest Doku, technology expert at Uswitch.com, comments on the Government’s announcement of a social media ban for under-16s: 

“Today's announcement puts the pressure on the platforms to consider how to make this work, but parents have told us just how big that challenge is. Nearly half don't know that VPNs and private browsers can bypass existing restrictions on their child's phone, and three in ten parents who already have controls in place say their child has found a way around them at least once.

"The practical reality is that this will take time to get right. To verify under-16s, platforms will likely need to check all users, meaning adults will likely be asked to confirm their age through ID or a selfie before accessing major apps. Exactly how that gets implemented, and what it means for data privacy, is still to be worked out.

"In the meantime, free parental controls are already available through most mobile networks and broadband providers, and take minutes to set up. They won't solve everything, but they're a practical first step while the wider picture becomes clearer."