In a significant move to protect children in the digital age, the United States and the United Kingdom have unveiled their first joint agreement focused on online safety. The agreement establishes a collaborative working group dedicated to sharing expertise and research on the impact of social media on children.
UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized that this initiative aims to leverage the two countries’ “historic partnership” to create a “safer online world for our next generation.” However, the agreement has drawn criticism from advocacy groups, who argue it does not go far enough to address urgent concerns regarding children’s online safety.
Campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood expressed skepticism, asserting that parents cannot afford to wait for the results of this agreement while their children’s futures are at risk. “Action is needed sooner,” they stated, highlighting that many parents are frustrated by the slow pace of governmental action on this issue.
Prof. Pete Etchells of Bath Spa University noted the need for more substantial evidence to guide future policies aimed at mitigating online harms. He pointed out that while there is a growing recognition of the need for policies to support young people in navigating their digital environments, there has been limited success in establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship regarding the impacts of social media on wellbeing.
The UK government acknowledged the current gap in research regarding the causal impacts of social media on young people. As part of the agreement, it committed to exploring ways to provide researchers with greater access to data held by major tech companies.
The core of the joint agreement is the establishment of the working group, which will focus on enhancing transparency from online platforms and better understanding the potential risks and impacts of new technologies, including generative AI, on young users. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stressed the necessity of these measures, stating, “As more children across the U.S. and around the globe have access to online platforms, there is also increased risk to this exposure.”
Despite the positive steps outlined in the agreement, Smartphone Free Childhood has launched a campaign urging the UK government to restrict mobile phone access for students in schools. The group argues that without prompt action, the UK risks falling behind other European nations that have implemented stricter regulations.
Currently, UK government guidance recommends that all schools prohibit mobile phone use throughout the school day. However, officials have yet to commit to banning smartphone access for under-16s. The UK’s Online Safety Act does impose certain duties on online platforms to safeguard children’s safety, but its provisions have not yet been fully enacted, with guidance for compliance still under development by the communications regulator Ofcom.
