White House urges UK not to ban social media for under-16s

The White House called on the UK to instead give parents ‘robust tools’ to manage their children’s privacy settings and account controls. Photograph: EMS-Forster-Productions/Getty Images

The White House has urged the UK not to impose a social media ban for under-16s, saying such restrictions could impose a “disproportionate” burden on US tech firms.

In a submission to a government consultation on online safety, the US government came out against “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” to address online harms to children.