A group of MPs are calling for a tax on social media companies’ profits, saying the firms are operating in “an online wild west”.
Its report, which follows a year-long inquiry into the health impact of social media, says the industry should do more to protect children and young people online.
The government is due to publish its own proposals within weeks. It says all kinds of steps are being explored to increase online safety.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing invited experts, charities, parents and young people to give evidence to its inquiry.
It found that although social media had many positive effects, such as acting as a supportive community and a place of learning, it could also expose young people to cyber-bullying, self-harm and feelings of low self-esteem.
The report acknowledged there was still a lack of robust scientific evidence that social media actually causes mental health problems in young people, but it said precautionary measures should be taken to minimise any potential harm.
Last month, the UK’s chief medical officers issued guidance on screen time, saying children should take a break from screen-based activities every two hours and phones should be kept out of bedrooms at bedtime.
The report makes a number of recommendations which include:
• creating a Social Media Health Alliance, funded by a 0.5% tax on the profits of social media companies, to fund research and draw up clearer guidance for the public
• establishing a duty of care on all social media companies with registered UK users aged 24 and under
• reviewing whether the “addictive” nature of social media is sufficient to classify it as an official disease
The report, written with the Royal Society for Public Health, says companies like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube were starting to address health harms, but there was still room for improvement.
Chris Elmore MP, chair of the APPG on Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing said the report was a wake-up call for meaningful action.
“For far too long social media companies have been allowed to operate in an online ‘wild west’.
“And it is in this lawless landscape that our children currently work and play online. This cannot continue. As the report makes clear, now is the time for the government to take action.”