Social media companies have come under attack for failing to do enough to properly safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people who use their services.
A damning inquiry report accuses companies of not showing the “leadership or the appetite” to tackle cyber-bullying effectively.
The inquiry, led by Alex Chalk MP, the Children’s Society and YoungMinds, reveals evidence of the 24/7 nature of the cyber-bullying risk that young people face.
The research involved oral and written evidence from social media companies, mental health experts, children’s charities and young people themselves, including a survey of more than 1,000 young people aged 11 to 25.
It finds that under-age use of social media is “commonplace”. Despite most major companies saying that users must be 13 or older, 61 per cent of young people in the research survey said they had their first account at age 12.
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