# UK opposition calls for better online protections for children
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2023-03-06
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Labour Party urges enactment of Online Safety Bill after
Meta Description: Labour Party calls for stronger protections for children online following Reuters report on inadequate measures taken by social media platforms like Snapchat.
URL: https://financedigest.com/uk-opposition-calls-for-better-online-protections-for-childrenhtml

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By Martin Coulter

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour Party has called on the government to enact its long-delayed Online Safety Bill, after Reuters revealed how few underage children Snapchat was removing from its platform.

Britain, like the European Union and other countries, has been grappling with how to protect social media users, and in particular children, from harmful content without damaging free speech.

On Friday, [Reuters reported](https://www.financedigest.com/indonesia-to-tighten-used-shoe-import-controls-after-reuters-report.html "Indonesia to tighten used shoe import controls after Reuters report"), Snapchat was kicking dozens of children in Britain off its platform each month, compared with tens of thousands blocked by rival TikTok.

[“Parents are crying out for better protections for children](https://www.financedigest.com/nearly-half-of-parents-still-give-pocket-money-to-their-adult-children.html "Nearly half of parents still give pocket money to their adult children") online and especially on social media,” said Lucy Powell, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in a statement issued in response to Reuters’ report.

The Government has delayed and now [watered down the online safety bill](https://www.financedigest.com/saving-on-water-bills-more-than-just-a-drop-in-the-ocean-for-businesses-facing-the-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Saving on water bills: More than just a drop in the ocean for businesses facing the cost-of-living crisis"), relying almost entirely on age verification technologies which aren’t fool proof, when we know that many children pass themselves off as older online.

Powell added that the British government [needs to strengthen the Bill to “take on the algorithms and business models of platforms which promote harm and fail to protect](https://www.financedigest.com/regulators-need-to-strike-the-balance-between-protection-and-strangulation.html "REGULATORS NEED TO STRIKE THE BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTION AND STRANGULATION") children.

According to the data shared with media regulator Ofcom and seen by Reuters, between April 2021 and April 2022, TikTok blocked an average of [around 180,000 suspected underage accounts](https://www.financedigest.com/5-common-mistakes-around-accounts-payable-automation.html "5 Common Mistakes Around Accounts Payable Automation") in Britain every month, or around 2 million in that 12-month period.

In the same period, Snapchat told the watchdog it had removed approximately 60 accounts per month, or just over 700 in total.

A Snap spokesperson told Reuters the figures misrepresented the scale of work the [company did to keep](https://www.financedigest.com/in-listening-mode-new-bayer-ceo-keeps-open-mind-on-company-split.html "In listening mode, new Bayer CEO keeps ‘open mind’ on company split") under-13s off its platform. The spokesperson declined to provide additional context or to detail specific [blocking measures the company](https://www.financedigest.com/exxon-sues-eu-in-move-to-block-new-windfall-tax-on-oil-companies.html "Exxon sues EU in move to block new windfall tax on oil companies") has taken.

(Reporting by Martin Coulter; Editing by Matt Scuffham and Sharon Singleton)


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