The UK government expects the Instagram owner, Meta, to roll out the same protections for children in Britain. Photograph: Ekaterina Goncharova; posed by model/Getty Images View image in fullscreen The UK government expects the Instagram owner, Meta, to roll out the same protections for children in Britain. Photograph: Ekaterina Goncharova; posed by model/Getty Images Social media ban UK expects Meta to match US child safety measures after $18bn settlement Minister calls for Instagram owner to extend sweeping new safeguards for young users to Britain
Prefer the Guardian on Google The UK government expects the Instagram owner Meta to roll out the same protections for children in Britain as those it agreed in the US on Wednesday , as part of a court settlement that could cost the company up to $18bn (£13bn).
Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, said on Thursday he did not want young people in the US to have “a higher rate of protection” than those in Britain, after Meta settled a lawsuit brought by dozens of US states accusing the company of harming children with dangerous products .
As well as the payouts, Meta agreed to a default daily time limit of two hours for users under 18 that can be lifted only by a parent – a measure not currently proposed under plans to ban social media for under-16s in the UK – and a default block between midnight and 6am for under-18s, as well as default blocks on user notifications at night and during the school day.
Analysts have pointed out the measures largely fall within the bounds of changes Meta has already been required to make elsewhere. But restrictions agreed by Meta in the US that have not been proposed in the UK include bans on under-18s displaying numbers of likes or reactions and on cosmetic procedure image filters.
Meta has urged TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same standards “to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way”.
View image in fullscreen Countries around the world are beginning to restrict social media for children children’s access to social media amid rising concern about harms, Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Asked on Sky News whether he expected Meta to roll out the new safety features in the UK, McFadden said: “Yes, we would. We don’t want a situation where young people in America have got a higher rate of protection than young people in the UK.”
In June, Keir Starmer’s government announced an Australia-style ban on social media for children under 16 would come into force by early 2027. It also said in July that default overnight curfews from midnight to 6am would be switched on for 16- and 17-year-olds using social media apps, while features designed to keep users scrolling for longer would be switched off by default.
McFadden said the social media ban for young people would come into force next year, confirmed the overnight curfews and added: “We’ve got to do something about this endless scrolling, which is so addictive for young people.”
Countries around the world are beginning to restrict children’s access to social media amid rising concern about harms. In March, Indonesia began blocking children under 16 from accessing most social media. Malaysia followed suit in June. France passed a law banning social media access for under-15s in July, while Turkey passed a bill with similar restrictions. Bans or limits are being considered by 19 other countries , according to the Tech Policy Press non-profit organisation.
The Meta settlement announced on…