Lord William Hague, the chancellor of the University of Oxford and former Conservative leader, has called for stricter controls on children’s smartphone usage and urged the government to stand up to tech giants. In a column for The Times, Hague criticized ministers for diluting proposals by Labour MP Josh MacAlister that aimed to protect children online, including raising the age of “internet adulthood” from 13 to 16, banning smartphones in schools, and strengthening Ofcom’s regulatory powers. Hague warned that excessive social media use is linked to anxiety, depression, harassment, and poor mental health among young people, with a quarter of children as young as three and four now owning smartphones.
Hague accused the government of being “slow to adjust to radical changes in technology and society” and suggested that ministers were reluctant to challenge tech companies due to fears of upsetting US President Donald Trump, who has close ties to tech billionaire Elon Musk. He emphasized that “welcoming technology firms is different from letting them do anything they like” and called for faster, more decisive action to protect children.
The intervention comes amid growing concerns about the impact of technology on young people. The NSPCC’s new CEO, Chris Sherwood, highlighted emerging threats such as AI-generated abuse, including cases where scammers used AI to manipulate images of children for extortion. Childline has also reported a rise in AI-related concerns among young people seeking counselling.
Hague’s comments follow criticism of the government’s decision to water down MacAlister’s Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill. Conservative MP Kit Malthouse described the revised bill as a “hollowed-out gesture” and accused the government of “betraying our children and capitulating to big tech.” The original bill proposed measures such as requiring UK chief medical officers to issue guidance on children’s smartphone use and reviewing the age of consent for data sharing.
A spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology defended the government’s approach, pointing to the upcoming implementation of the Online Safety Act, which aims to protect children from harmful content and ensure age-appropriate online experiences. However, critics argue that more urgent and comprehensive action is needed to address the growing risks posed by technology to young people.
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