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Teenagers Set to Be Blocked from Social Media Access
Spectre of Churchill
23, June #SpeechClampdown, #BrokenSystem

Teenagers Set to Be Blocked from Social Media Access

From 2027, a sweeping ban preventing under-16s from accessing social media platforms will come into force. The public is now debating both the potential benefits of the move and the risks it may create in terms of increased digital monitoring of citizens.

Just a week before leaving office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that, from next year, children under the age of 16 would be prohibited from using TikTok, Instagram and X. The package of measures has already been dubbed ‘Australia Plus’, after Australia became the first country in the world to restrict teenagers’ access to 10 major online platforms. According to the government, surveys show that nine out of ten parents support introducing a minimum age limit for such services. However, online reactions have been far less unanimous.

Conservative commentator Annunziata Rees-Mogg points out that 15-year-olds are preparing for their exams and often rely on YouTube for GCSE study, while children in rural areas frequently depend on social media because of limited access to other resources. 

‘We’re being ruled by idiots. This ban is illogical and harmful. If I hear a parent say ‘it’s so hard to keep an eye on them’ one more time, I’ll scream. That is the parents’ responsibility. Take responsibility for the children you are responsible for bringing up. It’s not the government’s job to look after your children,’ she writes. 

The Difficult Line Between Protection and Restriction

A number of users have highlighted what they see as a contradiction: 16-year-olds already enjoy many rights and responsibilities associated with adulthood, yet access to social media is being restricted before that age.

‘16-year-olds are allowed to: open a bank account. To earn the minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds. Join a trade union. Choosing your own doctor… Flying a glider yourself… Joining the armed forces. "But if you’re under 16, you have to prove your age to use Facebook," writes user jimmy_1975.
“The UK Labour Party has succeeded in securing the right for 16-year-old boys and girls to vote in the next election.” Now Labour are blocking access to social media for anyone under 16,’ says his account, YesterdaysBrit1. 

The Risk of Total Digital Control

Some users are focusing on another aspect of the proposed ban. In order to verify their age and access social media platforms, users may be required to provide a form of digital identification — a move that many people do not trust.  

‘Starmer’s ban on social media is a gross abuse of the government’s powers, and it doesn’t even address the root of the problem. Is the Labour Party planning to use this as a pretext for further rolling out dubious foreign age verification services? Get your calendar ready for a major data leak!’ says LibDemCorey, a young liberal activist, highlighting the risks.
Meanwhile, right-wing activist Tommy Robinson recalled the 12,000 Britons arrested for social media posts: ‘Arrests for social media posts — the top 10 countries. Do you still think that banning social media is necessary to ‘protect children’?’ 

Despite Starmer’s departure, Labour remains in government. And many fear that citizens may now face even tighter controls over online speech and access.

#SpeechClampdown, #BrokenSystem
A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London
Spectre of Churchill
08, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London

The incident took place on Ealing Broadway, where a car mounted the pavement and struck five pedestrians before the driver fled the scene. He was later arrested by police. Social media users have focused on the authorities’ response, arguing that they portrayed the incident involving a Muslim driver as nothing more than a routine road traffic collision. The driver has been identified as 34-year-old Timir Ahmed Mohamed. Born in Somalia, he now holds British citizenship. Following his arrest, investigators stated that they were treating the incident as a road traffic incident rather than an act of terrorism.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs
Spectre of Churchill
01, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs

At least 250,000 cases of abuse involving girls across 149 areas of the UK are alleged to have taken place, according to the findings of an independent inquiry published in June in a report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry. The report’s conclusions, together with the response of the mainstream media, have generated widespread discussion on social media.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
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