Health minister ‘infuriated’ social media doesn’t block more under-13s

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has said he finds it infuriating that social media firms do not do more to block under-13s from their sites.

The father-of-three said the “new world” of social media made the process of growing up and getting “comfortable” with oneself harder than in the past.

He has asked chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, to draw up new guidance for children on using social media.

In an interview with Grazia magazine, the father to two sons and a daughter, all under the age of 13, said his own children were not allowed on social media.

He said: “This is one of the hardest times to be growing up.

“It’s a very hard time to be a parent too because of the amount of pressures that impact on young people.”

Mr Hancock added: “Everybody goes through a period of becoming comfortable with themselves. That’s part of growing up. It was hard in the old world of simple communications, but in this new world it’s harder still.” Asked whether his children were active on social media yet, Mr Hancock said: “No. My daughter is the eldest, she’s 12.

“Social media companies say their products shouldn’t be used by under-13s and it infuriates me that they make it very easy for under-13s to use them and don’t do anything to stop them, leaving it all down to parents.”

Mr Hancock said he worried about the pressures on young women, saying girls were “too often in despair looking at pictures they see online and thinking, ‘Why don’t I look like that?’”.