Regulations under consideration could affect up to 150 platforms, including LegoPlay, Spotify and eBay, sources say
A substantial expansion of the social media ban for under-16s could inadvertently lead to a ban on YouTube Kids and other sites that had been thought exempt, sources briefed on the government’s proposals have said.
The ban could also see games platforms such as Lego Play covered by the regulations. One source close to the talks said the regulations now under consideration meant there could be up to 150 platforms now covered by the ban, which is set to come into force in March.
The regulations will be sent for cabinet signoff this week, and the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, is expected to lay them in parliament in December.
Ministers are understood to be keen for a catch-all approach that limits workarounds for the ban. Critics of Australia’s social media ban say teens have switched to new platforms or found innovative ways of messaging using other seemingly innocuous sites.
Tech companies, industry groups and MPs have been briefed that the government’s working proposal focuses on recommender systems and user-generated content.
Spotify – which has some user-generated content and shows recommended music or podcasts – could technically be in scope if those proposals are enacted, though the music streaming site has sought reassurances that it…
