Labour MP Patrick Hurley explains why he supports the government’s decision to consult on further steps to protect children online, including whether access to social media should be restricted for under-16s. But we should also be honest about the fact that today’s social media platforms were not built with children in mind. That is why I support the government’s decision to consult on further steps to protect children online, including whether access to social media should be restricted for under-16s. In my Southport constituency, we have seen how quickly social media can make a bad situation worse. Social media did not cause these crimes, but the way harmful and misleading content spreads can clearly make things worse.