UK rights organisations say under-16 social media ban would not be enough to stop online child abuse

The UK Alliance Tackling Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse has welcomed the UK government’s plan to ban social media use by children under 16, while warning that the measure would not be enough to stop online child sexual abuse.

UK ATOC said age restrictions on mainstream social media platforms could reduce some risks for children. However, it warned that abuse can move to other digital spaces, including encrypted messaging services, gaming platforms, livestreaming services and less regulated online environments.

The alliance said child protection online requires a broader response. This includes prevention, stronger platform accountability, and digital services designed to reduce opportunities for abuse before harm occurs.

The group called for a package of technical, legislative and regulatory measures. These include stronger safeguards in end-to-end encrypted environments, robust age-assurance systems, mandatory safer-by-design principles, and stronger enforcement under the UK Online Safety Act.

UK ATOC also said regulators and policymakers should address risks linked to AI chatbots and companion services. These tools can create new channels for harmful contact, manipulation or exploitation if they are not properly designed and governed.

The alliance also called for device-level nudity detection, prevention of uploads involving known child sexual abuse material, and measures to address livestreamed abuse, grooming and sexual extortion.

UK ATOC welcomed the government’s plan to introduce nudity-detection tools on children’s devices. It described this as an important safeguard, but said it should form part of a wider child-safety framework.

The statement points to a central limitation of age-based bans. They may reduce children’s exposure to some mainstream platforms, but they do not address the full range of services, devices and technologies through which online child sexual exploitation can occur.

UK ATOC said governments, regulators, technology companies and online service providers all have a role in reducing online risks to children.