BROMSGROVE MP Bradley Thomas has shown his support for the new Conservative policy to introduce age restrictions on social media, writes Toby Almond.
His party said, if it won the next general election, it would under-16s from accessing social media platforms.
Members promise to follow the example of Australia, which became the first country to introduce the policy last month.
Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch said her party would also aim to ban smartphones in school.
Mr Thomas said: “We must take action to stop children from being exposed to violence, pornography and extremist content.
“Experts warn this is a contributing to deteriorating mental health, poor sleep, isolation and knock-on effects for learning and behaviour.
“When I met with a local scout group last year, I was taken aback by how many young people hated social media, but they are on there because of peer pressure and fear of missing out.
“Parents should always be the first line of defence when it comes to protecting children and as, Conservatives, we want to give parents the support in doing so.”
He added a future Conservative government would introduce age restrictions on social media platforms for under-16s to support parents in protecting their children.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said he agreed with ‘a lot of what Ms Badenoch was saying’ on social media use.
The restriction would mean tech companies, such as TikTok and Snapchat, would need to ensure they were using age-verification methods that would not require any form of government digital ID.
However, this will not apply to messaging apps such as WhatsApp.
Mr Thomas added: “Social media companies need to take more responsibility for the effects their platforms are having on young people.
“This isn’t about freedom of speech.
“Adults will be able to continue to use social media platforms, but it’s about protecting children from the most corrosive effects of social media.”
