Key facts
- UK ministers are planning a ban on social media for under-16s.
- Yoti is urging UK ministers to set minimum standards for age verification.
- Yoti warns the ban could fail without clear age-check rules.
- Google expressed disappointment that YouTube is included in the ban.
- Google argues YouTube is an educational resource and family streaming service.
- The ban targets social media access for individuals under 16.
UK ministers are planning to implement a ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 16. This proposed legislation has raised concerns about the practicalities of age verification, with Yoti, a digital identity firm, calling for stricter standards. Yoti's CEO has urged UK ministers to define clear minimum standards for age verification processes that social media platforms must adhere to. The company warns that without such guidelines, the proposed ban could be largely ineffective, as platforms may struggle to accurately verify the ages of their users.
Google has voiced its disappointment regarding the inclusion of YouTube in the planned ban. The tech giant argues that YouTube should not be categorized alongside traditional social media platforms. Google contends that YouTube serves a dual purpose as an educational resource and a family-friendly streaming service, distinguishing it from platforms primarily focused on social interaction. The company's stance suggests a belief that the ban, as currently conceived, does not adequately differentiate between various types of online content and services.