Britain seems to step into various aspects of its citizens’ lives but hesitates to address one significant area.
A new law in Australia prohibiting social media access for children under 16 takes effect Wednesday, as reported by Politico. While Australia is part of the Commonwealth, British lawmakers are still hesitant to consider a similar ban.
A government spokesperson mentioned, “Currently, we have no plans to implement a ban on smartphones or social media for children. It’s crucial to protect kids while allowing them to safely enjoy the digital world without isolating the most vulnerable.”
🤐 British police make a huge number of chilling arrests over social media posts
“The Government must immediately review the laws that enable arrests of this scale for online speech and save Britain’s deteriorating civil liberties reputation.” – Maya Thomas, Law and Policy…
— Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) November 17, 2025
We should really consider how the digital realm can be advantageous for kids. Think about it—they might stumble upon great tutorials for baking or fixing things. Having social media accounts often seems essential for maintaining a social presence, especially when all their classmates are online.
Yet, it’s important to note that these are more of the pressures created by widespread social media use among children than real benefits.
I won’t go on about this for too long; the downsides of social media are fairly apparent. It feels a bit like opening your bedroom window and shouting, “Who wants to come visit unsupervised?”
A spokesperson for Reform UK told Politico, “We think the ban is ineffective.” This party is generally seen as right-leaning but hasn’t done much to prevent what some call a decline into late-stage socialism.
In any case, the opportunity to object to such a ban based on principles may have already passed. There’s no broadly recognized right to free speech in the UK, and the government has capitalized on that reality.
UK ranks number one in social media arrests
12,000 people in one year alone
Beyond China and Russia
we don’t have freedom of speech
— Basil the Great (@BasilTheGreat) November 1, 2025
Video has surfaced showing a British officer reaching out to citizens about their social media engagement. It raises concerns about what might be monitored.
One individual reportedly used the letter “N” intending to say “no.” Yet, he was told, “You are now a suspect in this crime,” presumably by law enforcement.
“I’d like you to come to the police station voluntarily,” came the request, indicating the serious approach some authorities take.
According to the Daily Mail, Cumbria police have the highest rate of social media arrests per capita in the UK. In fact, their arrest rate for every 100,000 people was 42.5 in 2024, considerably higher than the lowest rate of 2.1 from Staffordshire Police.
The Daily Mail also pointed out that thousands have been detained over messages deemed troublesome or anxiety-inducing.
While social media arrest figures have slightly decreased—from 13,800 in 2023 to 9,700 last year—they still exceed pre-pandemic levels.
It’s curious to see British attention directed towards these issues rather than other pressing matters, like the reported assaults on local girls. Over recent decades, many claims of assaults by immigrants went unaddressed, with most perpetrators receiving relatively light sentences.
As a parent, I can see the concern around providing kids with mobile phones. It seems better to avoid giving them phones altogether, but I get that schools insist on laptops, and there’s pressure on kids to fit in socially if they don’t have one.
