The British government's landmark Online Safety Act, which includes provisions to restrict social media access for under-16s, is being held up by campaigners as a global template. As the US Senate prepares to vote on the Kids Online Safety Act, pressure is mounting on American lawmakers to follow suit. But would a ban work across the Atlantic?
The UK law, which came into force earlier this year, places a duty of care on platforms to protect children from harmful content and requires age verification for social media use. Tech firms face fines of up to 10% of global turnover for non-compliance. The legislation has been praised by children's charities and mental health advocates, who point to rising rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm among teenagers linked to social media use.
In the US, the debate is more fraught. Free speech advocates warn that age verification could be used to surveil adults. Tech lobbyists argue that the UK model is too restrictive. But families who have lost children to cyberbullying or dangerous online challenges say the status quo is untenable. “We cannot wait any longer,” said Mary Robinson, whose 14-year-old daughter died by suicide after being targeted on Snapchat. “Platforms know how to fix this. They just choose not to.”
The economic argument is also stark. In working-class communities like those I grew up in, where parents work shift patterns and cannot constantly monitor screen time, the fallout from unregulated social media is felt hardest. Teenagers from low-income homes spend more time online and are more exposed to scams, grooming and extremist content. A ban would level the playing field, say unions and parent groups.
Critics say that outright bans are unenforceable and drive activity underground. But the UK approach is not a blanket ban: it allows access with parental consent and focuses on algorithmic accountability. In practice, this means that platforms must proactively remove harmful content and restrict underage accounts. Early data from the UK suggests that time spent on TikTok by under-16s has dropped by 30% since the law came into force.
For the US, adopting a similar model would require federal legislation that overrides state laws and withstands First Amendment challenges. But the political winds are shifting. A recent poll found that 72% of American adults support age verification for social media. And with the UK offering a live test case, the question is no longer whether to act, but whether America can afford not to.
For the families burying their children, the answer is clear. For a government that claims to champion the working class, inaction is a vote for the status quo of corporate profits over child safety. The price of bread matters. But so does the price of a child's life.
