𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Today the House of Commons will be forced to make a choice. MPs must decide whether to vote for the amendment passed overwhelmingly by the House of Lords in January – in my name alongside parliamentarians from every major party – which would raise the age limit for harmful social media platforms to 16.

The evidence is overwhelming. Children are losing their mental health to products designed by behavioural psychologists to be as addictive as possible, with no regard for the wellbeing of the young people using them.

They are being radicalised by algorithms that push increasingly extreme content at developing minds with no capacity yet to resist it. They are being groomed and exploited by predators operating openly on platforms that most parents believe are safe.

We have heard in recent months from many who work to keep our children safe. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges spoke for the medical profession when it declared that we are witnessing a public health emergency.

The Independent Reviewer of Terror Legislation has called for the Government to act. Simon Bailey, the former National Police Chief’s Lead for Child Protection, has written to MPs this weekend calling for immediate action to end the child protection crisis which is leading to the grooming and abuse of many of our children online.

We have also heard the particularly moving voices of the 23 parents of young people who tragically lost their lives in connection with social media. Bravely using their voices to prevent what happened to them from happening to others, they have one message for MPs: do not allow further delay, because every delay is another opportunity for big tech to organise against any action at all.

But what do the Government want their MPs to do? They want their MPs to take a gamble – a gamble on children’s safety, placing their faith in a consultation that delivers nothing but more delay.

Regulating social media companies and keeping our children safe online is one of the defining challenges of our time. And yet the Government could not be any clearer that they remain firmly on the fence.

This is not good enough. Today MPs have the chance to show the courage this moment demands and vote for my cross-party amendment – raising the age to 16 for the most harmful platforms, within twelve months, written into law before the summer.

The alternative is to stand on the sidelines while more children are harmed. I do not believe that is good enough, and I urge every MP to vote for this amendment today.