The UK government is urging Meta to extend the same safety measures for children in Britain as those recently established in the United States under a significant legal agreement. The settlement in the US could potentially cost Meta up to $18 billion and includes implementing default protections for users under 18 years old. Key measures involve a daily time cap of two hours, which can only be surpassed with parental consent, as well as restrictions on access during nighttime and school hours, and limits on notifications during these periods.
British officials have emphasized that children in the UK should benefit from protections equivalent to their American counterparts. In response, the government is preparing to introduce new limitations on social media usage among children. These proposed measures include banning individuals under 16 from certain platforms and instituting overnight curfews for teenage users. These steps are part of broader efforts to secure safer online environments for young people.
The US settlement has intensified the debate over the need for stricter regulation of social media platforms, with increased scrutiny on features that promote excessive usage. Critics argue that without robust regulatory frameworks, platforms may continue to implement engagement-driven features that can lead to harmful levels of use among young people.
Although the implementation of time limits and curfews is seen as a positive step, some experts caution that these measures alone may not sufficiently address underlying issues. Concerns remain about features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations, which are designed to maintain user engagement and can contribute to addictive behaviors.
As the UK government considers its next steps, the focus remains on ensuring that children have safe and balanced interactions with social media platforms, aligning with their right to security both online and offline.