Tech firms had 'enough time' says Nandy, ahead of social media announcement

Tech companies have had "more than enough time to get their house in order", Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said ahead of an announcement on Monday by the prime minister on restricting social media for teenagers.

Nandy told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg if firms were not prepared to ensure their products were safe they "lose the right to market their products towards children".

The Times has reported the announcement will include banning under 16-year-olds from some social media sites and a curfew for older teenagers.

Campaigner Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life after viewing harmful content online, told the programme he was "dismayed" by reports of the ban.

Russell suggested the policy had been "rushed" forward for "a political reason" by Starmer.

"If he's playing politics, what he's doing is gambling with young people's lives - and I find that deplorable," he said.

Nandy said she would not pre-empt Starmer's announcement but said it was "how, not whether, we better protect children online".

She said the vast majority of responses to the government's consultation had backed a social media ban for under-16-year-olds.