Social media ban for under-16s takes responsibility away from Big Tech, says lawyer

Irish human rights lawyer Michael O’Flaherty said: 'Children are exposed to violent, sexual, or distressing content, grooming, and rapidly spreading disinformation.'

Banning social media for under-16s would “shift the responsibility for safety from the platforms that create the environment to the children who navigate it”, Europe’s most senior human rights official has said.

The commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, Irish human rights lawyer Michael O’Flaherty, suggested that while such calls which are gathering momentum arise from legitimate concerns, it should not deflect accountability from the social media platforms themselves.