What is the age of 'internet adulthood' - and could plan to raise it to 16 help teenagers?

A new bill proposed by a Labour MP wants to force social media companies to make content less addictive for under-16s.

The new Safer Phones Bill proposed by a Labour MP wants to force social media companies to make content less addictive for under-16s by, in part, raising the age of "internet adulthood" from 13 to 16.

Julian Hayes, partner at BCL Solicitors, warns that if sites are required to use "age gating" and age verification, that introduces other issues.

"Requiring verifiable ID to access websites or apps raises significant privacy and freedom of speech issues, and risks excluding adults who do not themselves have the requisite ID," Hayes said.

The bill also risks robbing young people of important skills, he added.

"Preventing young people from accessing websites and apps which will likely be a feature of their adult lives creates an artificially sanitised online sphere which sharply contrasts with the 'real' digital world they may choose to inhabit once they reach the 'age of digital majority'.

"Without any prior exposure to this online environment, older teenagers' lack of experience and critical engagement with the virtual world risks making them more vulnerable to online harms."

This comment was first written for and published by Yahoo news on 20 October 2024, to read the full article click here.