I welcome the fact that the British Government has now committed to introducing social media restrictions for under-16s. It is going to consult on whether to introduce an outright ban, but what is guaranteed is that some form of age or functionality restriction will be brought in. The first point I would like to make is that this has come about as a result from pressure from the House of Lords, which on four occasions voted for amendments to the UK Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill that were brought forward by Opposition members. I would like to point to what a healthy sign that is of a democracy. For us in the Seanad, also in a review Chamber, it would be a very positive development if we kept the ball pucked out to the Government in the same way on legislation from time to time by insisting that certain issues be visited and revisited. We did with some considerable success some years ago in the context of hate speech, but we should do more of it in this House.

My second point has to do with the merits of the case for a social media ban. I worry that our Government could be too deferential to big tech in all of this. I am also unimpressed by supposed defenders of children's rights and welfare, such as the Children's Rights Alliance, who seem to me to be sometimes more interested in vindicating children's rights even if it comes at the expense of their welfare. The kinds of excuses I hear for not introducing some kind of ban have to do with putting pressure on parents or children, or children finding other sources, maybe more unregulated spaces. All that seems to do is mirror the talking points we get from big tech about this. What needs to be focused on here is not a blanket ban on social media access for children per se but, as they have done in Australia, a ban on accounts being created by children because it is when accounts are created that children on social media can be particularly targeted. Of course, such a social media accounts ban is a necessary but not sufficient condition for improvement in this area. We need to look at design integrated functions that cause problems like infinite scroll, recommender systems, algorithms and so on. I say "well done" to the British House of Lords.

We should follow its example if our Government proves, as I fear, to be too timid on this issue.