UK prepares new ban targeting children!

A new step to protect children from online dangers has emerged in the United Kingdom. According to a report by The Times, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has launched an initiative to ban children under 16 from using shopping sites and apps such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and Depop.

Reason for the Bill: Child Abuse Risk

The justification for the initiative was presented as the messaging features found on shopping platforms. It was stated that through these features children can communicate with strangers and be exposed to the risk of abuse.

The UK‑based child‑protection charity The Children’s Society also reported that some users on the aforementioned platforms were requesting inappropriate photos from children in exchange for money.

Following these developments, it was reported that the government is also considering restricting children's access to shopping platforms within the age‑limit framework.

Social Media Ban Also on the Agenda

In the United Kingdom, efforts to restrict social media use by children under 16 are also underway.

Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a statement on 15 June, said that work had begun to ban social media use for children under 16 and that the regulation was planned to be passed through Parliament by the end of the year.

Starmer, who said the law was intended to take effect in the first months of next year, had drawn attention to the impact of social media on children's mental health.

Starmer had stressed that platforms can facilitate bullying and abuse, that children can be exposed to dangerous content, and that children must be protected online.