Topic analysis

UK police bosses say unsafe social media platforms should be blocked for under-16s

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) are calling for under-16s to be blocked from social media, AI, and gaming platforms that retain high-risk features like private messaging with strangers, harmful content recommendations, or the ability to share nude photos, in response to the government's consultation on social media restrictions for minors. They cite a rise in online child sexual abuse reports (92,000 in 2025) and push for stricter enforcement by regulator Ofcom, including device-level nudity controls, noting their proposal is less extreme than Australia's under-16 social media ban.