Banning Under 16s from Social Media : Protection, or Politics? (Episode 290)

In June, the UK government announced it will ban under-16s from social media platforms Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, with the rules due to take effect in spring 2027. We ask whether any of it will actually make young people safer. Age verification and the digital ID question, why Australia's version doesn't seem to be working, and the awkward truth that where there's a will there's a VPN. Matt makes the case that this is a cheap policy from a government that has ducked the expensive ones, and Alex argues you can't ban children out of the world they were born into. We don't have a lot of answers, but we got a lot off our chests!  Over to you If you could design this properly — how do we keep young people safe online without wrapping them in cotton wool? What would actually work? Let us know, because we didn't crack it in 36 minutes. Links from this episode - The government's announcement, 15 June 2026 - Growing Up in the Online World consultation response totals (116,211 responses) - Growing Up in the Online World government response, July 2026 - Australia's under 16 ban is failing, study finds (Al Jazeera, August 2026)- What the new rules actually do a plain-English breakdown - Defend Digital Me FAQ on the ban and the digital ID question    #SocialMediaBan #Under16s #OnlineSafety #AgeVerification #DigitalID #DigitalLiteracy #ScreenTime #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #UKPolitics #Ofcom #TeensOnline #TechAccountability  📢 Support the Podcast!Let us know on BlueSky (@gamingthesystem.bsky.social), Instagram (@gamingthesystempodcast) or in the comments on YouTube!If you love Gaming The System, consider supporting us:🔹 Patreon: patreon.com/gamingthesystem – get exclusive content!🔹 PayPal Donations: [email protected]🔹 Subscribe & Review: Share the podcast with fellow gamers!🎙 Gaming The System releases new episodes every ThursdayThanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨#GamingTheSystem #GamingCulture #FeministGaming  #feministgamingpodcast​ #feministgamers​ #intersectionalgaming​ #equalityingames​ #GamingRepresentation #AccessibleGaming #IntersectionalGaming #GamingTheSystemPodcast