FlippGen’s Statement of Position

Whilst we completely understand the concerns that have led to the proposed policy, and agree that the current status quo can and should change, FlippGen does not support a blanket ban on social media for under-16s. 

Such bans place responsibility on young people rather than addressing how platforms are designed, despite those same platforms remaining accessible once a young person turns 16. A more effective approach is to focus on safety by design for U16s, ensuring platforms are built to reduce harm as a default.

There are also practical concerns around what a “social media ban” would cover. Many digital spaces where similar risks exist, such as gaming platforms and chatrooms, would remain accessible. Not only could this mean a shift of harmful content to these platforms, it also risks young people moving to less regulated online spaces, such as AI companion platforms. 

The effectiveness of a blanket ban is also uncertain. Age verification systems are imperfect and can be bypassed, raising questions about enforcement, and unintended consequences about young people’s data and privacy.

Finally, social media is not all inherently harmful. It offers opportunities for connection, learning, creativity and access to support, particularly for young people from marginalised communities. A blanket ban risks restricting access to these very real benefits, without adequately addressing the underlying causes of harm.

A helpful analogy from elsewhere - if bullies, violent adults, and sexual predators were targeting children in playgrounds, we would not respond by banning children from these spaces. We would remove the perpetrators. Equally, if the playground equipment was inherently unsafe, we would redesign the environment to be safe. 

Similarly, we do not believe the answer is to ban young people from social media platforms, instead we should work to make these platforms inherently safer, so that their benefits can be enjoyed, whilst young people are still protected. 

Above all, we believe that youth voices are integral to combat the issues around social media. 

As such, we look forward to The Table we are co-hosting with Beyond on 21st January, a youth led hackathon where we will discuss issues around technology use, and collaboratively working towards a solution that works for young people. 

Similarly we look forward to releasing our For Us manifesto on 11th February, based on the idea of “Know tech, not no tech”, and advocating for safer AI, social media, and online platforms for kids, teens, and young adults: www.forus.org.uk