Australian-style social media ban for under-16s ‘a retrograde step’, say UK charities

Child safety experts say similar move in Britain would penalise young people for the failings of tech companies

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Child safety experts have warned the UK government against enacting an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, which they called a retrograde step" that would do more harm than good".

On Thursday, Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from using social media platforms. The move was supported by a large majority of the Australian public - but academics, politicians and child rights groups said it could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or make them feel more isolated.