London.- The YouTube platform, the most popular social network among British minors, reacted negatively today to the announced ban in the United Kingdom of the most followed social networks starting next year, warning that this will push them toward “less safe” networks.
A YouTube spokesperson told The Telegraph newspaper that their company—owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company—has been investing for a decade in protection mechanisms alongside experts on the matter to offer minors “appropriate experiences.”
As a result, he asserts that YouTube has become “a vital resource for young people, educators, and parents”.
For all these reasons, YouTube warns that “a total ban will push kids out of these monitored, supervised, and beneficial experiences toward anonymous and less secure services,” the spokesperson said.
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According to the British digital regulator Ofcom, children between 8 and 14 years old spend an average of three hours a day online, two of which are on social media. Of all of them, YouTube is the most popular in that age group, with an average of 48 minutes per day.
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The ban on social media for those under 16 starting in the spring of 2027 -with restrictive measures also for 16 and 17-year-olds- is considered one of the most ambitious implemented so far in the world.
