UK unveils sweeping social media ban for users under 16

英国宣布对 16 岁以下用户实施全面社交媒体禁令

U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that his government will impose a ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age. The ban would apply to a range of social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal will not be included in the ban. 英国首相基尔·斯塔默（Keir Starmer）周一宣布，其政府将对 16 岁以下儿童实施社交媒体使用禁令。该禁令将适用于包括 Snapchat、TikTok、YouTube、Instagram、Facebook 和 X 在内的多个社交媒体平台。WhatsApp 和 Signal 等即时通讯服务将不在此次禁令范围内。

There are also going to be limitations on AI tools, as AI “romantic companion” chatbots will have to ensure they are only usable by people over 18. The U.K. government has said its ban will go further than any other country’s. Starmer said a ban could be in place by next spring. 针对人工智能工具的限制也将出台，AI“恋爱伴侣”聊天机器人必须确保仅供 18 岁以上人群使用。英国政府表示，其禁令的力度将超过任何其他国家。斯塔默称，禁令最早可能在明年春天生效。

The U.K. joins a growing number of countries looking to safeguard kids online. Australia became the first to impose such a ban late last year, and other countries, including Canada, France, and Denmark, have started developing their own bans. The sweeping changes are designed to “put power back in parents’ hands and give kids the childhood they deserve,” the British government wrote in a press release. 英国加入了越来越多寻求保护儿童网络安全的国家行列。澳大利亚在去年年底率先实施了此类禁令，加拿大、法国和丹麦等其他国家也已开始制定各自的禁令。英国政府在一份新闻稿中写道，这些全面改革旨在“将权力交还给父母，并让孩子们拥有他们应得的童年”。

Experts have questioned whether a blanket ban would be effective. Starmer has acknowledged the challenges but said he believes it’s possible to enforce it. “Every parent can see it with their own eyes, social media is making children unhappy,” Starmer said during a press conference. “It’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them, and it could even be harming their mental health, exposing them to content that is dangerous because that’s what grabs the attention. It’s designed to be addictive, of course it is. Features like the infinite scroll, they’re designed to lock you in for hours.” 专家们质疑全面禁令是否有效。斯塔默承认了其中的挑战，但他表示相信禁令是可以执行的。斯塔默在新闻发布会上说：“每一位家长都能亲眼看到，社交媒体正在让孩子们变得不快乐。它让霸凌者更容易骚扰和虐待他们，甚至可能损害他们的心理健康，让他们接触到危险的内容，因为这些内容往往最能吸引注意力。它被设计成令人上瘾的，当然是这样。像无限滚动这样的功能，就是为了把你困在屏幕前几个小时。”

He went on to argue that social media is taking away from activities that help children develop into adults, such as going to bed on time, reading, playing outside, and more. The announcement comes as the British government had said earlier this year that it would consult parents, young people, and civil society for their views to determine whether a ban would be effective. More than 83% of parents who participated in the consultation said that social media’s risks outweigh its benefits. 他进一步指出，社交媒体占用了有助于儿童成长为成年人的活动时间，例如按时睡觉、阅读、户外运动等。在此次宣布之前，英国政府曾于今年早些时候表示，将咨询家长、年轻人和民间团体的意见，以确定禁令是否有效。参与咨询的家长中，超过 83% 的人认为社交媒体的风险大于其益处。