UK minister visits Australia for ‘lessons’ before expected British social media crackdown

The UK government could announce a social media crackdown within weeks that follows in Australia’s footsteps and restricts children’s access. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

The UK’s online safety minister says he has spent a week in Australia learning the “practical lessons” of the country’s under-16s social media ban amid concern that many teenagers are bypassing the law.

The British government is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks after a public consultation that could see the UK follow in Australia’s footsteps and restrict access to social media for teenagers – including age limits or changes to allegedly addictive design features – by the end of this year.