Manx government to consult on social media ban

The Isle of Man government is to launch a public consultation on restrictions for social media use by under-16s.

The move follows the UK government's announcement last week to introduce the ban under its Online Safety Act.

Ministers discussing the move said no decision had been made, but the island will "carefully consider" whether to align itself with the UK's approach.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan confirmed that consultation was "unlikely to take place before the House of Keys general elections" on 24 September.

Cannan said in the House of Keys that the "government recognises the potential harms posed by social media, particularly to children and young people, and has already taken practical steps to reduce some of those risks".

He said the island was monitoring UK plans and would consider whether similar measures should apply locally.

Lawrie Hooper MHK raised concerns that global social media companies applied UK rules across the Isle of Man, regardless of local policy.

"If that does happen, what options are really available to us?"

Cannan replied: "It is almost impossible for a small nation like ours to effectively influence the application of social media through such large companies."

Julie Edge MHK raised concerns about the potential cross-border implications of any future social media ban, questioning whether Manx children could face legal risks if the Isle of Man did not introduce similar protections to the UK.

Cannan responded that the government would do its best to protect children from online harms, but stressed it was too early to assess the impact of regulations that had yet to be finalised.

A spokeswoman from Delay Smartphones-IOM, a growing community-led campaign advocating for parents to postpone giving children smartphones and unrestricted social media access, welcomed the announcement, describing it as "long overdue".

The group said it validated concerns the group had had "for quite some time" about the impact of social media on children.

It said the discussion of potential restrictions recognised that social media posed "a real threat to childhood safety and development" and expressed hope that legislative changes could "give children their childhood back [and] their attention span back.

"it gives us more motivation to continue our campaigning on the Isle of Man," the group said.

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