John Swinney: There is 'strong argument' for child social media ban

First Minister John Swinney is considering a social media ban for under-16s.

Swinney said on Wednesday there was a “strong argument” for the measure, which he said could protect youngsters from the “social media storm”.

He confirmed he is engaged in discussions with Labour ministers to “strike the right balance” between protecting people, while also offering the opportunity to benefit from the positive side of social media platforms.

“I’ve called for much stronger steps to be taken to regulate social media giants, because I think young people are being caught up in a social media storm, for the use of a better word, which can have a significant effect on their wellbeing”, he said.

“There are many benefits of social media, but there are also some downsides – and we’ve got to make sure that young people are protected in this social media age.

“So, part of the dialogue we’re having with the UK Government is about how we can take steps to better protect children and young people from the downsides of social media, whilst enabling them to experience the benefits and the strengths of social media, and the connections and opportunities that can arise as a consequence.”

It comes after the UK government, which is in charge of online safety rules north of the border, said such a move is “on the table” after Australia announced a ban.

The world-first legislation will apply to Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X, and tech firms could be fined up to A$50m (£25.7m) if they do not comply with the new laws.

Swinney added: “I would certainly consider that – I think there’s a strong argument for it, Australia’s obviously gone down that direction and it’s one of the issues that I think we should look at, because I think there is a need to make sure that the appropriate protection is in place – and we must be assured that that’s the case.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister has called for stronger regulation on social media platforms to protect children and young people. Scottish Ministers will continue to engage with the UK Government on this issue.”

TikTok was the most favoured news source among 12 to 15 year olds according to research iStock

Social media has been blamed for an increase in children taking their own lives and developing eating disorders due to bullying and exposure to negative body images.

Last month, technology secretary Peter Kyle set out his priorities for the online safety regulator, Ofcom, as it prepares to implement and enforce the laws outlined in the Online Safety Act next year.

This says Ofcom should ensure the concept of “safety by design” is being followed by platforms from the start so more harm is caught before it occurs, and pushes for more transparency from tech firms on what harms are occurring on their platforms.

The Act will see new safety duties placed on social media platforms for the first time, requiring them to enforce age limits and protect users, particularly children, from harmful content.