Barnardo's responds to the news that social media platforms will be banned for children aged 16 and younger.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “For too long, children have been put in harm’s way – left to navigate an online world, and the risks that come with it, alone. So we welcome the government’s decision to take decisive action in making the online world a safer place for children.
“We know that many young people will be very upset by today’s announcement. Social media can provide important opportunities for connection, support and learning and we hope the government’s investment in enrichment activities will create more of these opportunities offline. But we hear from children every day the impact that exposure to violent and harmful content has on them and their view of the world. By neglecting to introduce the necessary measures to keep children safe online, social media companies have failed children.
“This is not a silver bullet, and must be seen as one of a package of measures. It is as important as ever that social media companies take responsibility for making their platforms safe and the government and regulators robustly hold them to account. It is not, and has never been, children’s job to keep themselves safe.”