UKs terror watchdog hits out at WhatsApp over lowering of age limit as he says more… [Video]

18 April 2024, 19:08

Access to social media has led to more children being radicalised, the UK’s terror watchdog has told LBC, as he hit out at the lowering of WhatsApp’s age limit.

Jonathan Hall KC said the move to allow 13-year-olds access to the encrypted messaging service risks exposing more children to unregulated content.“To me that’s an extraordinary thing to do,” he told Tom Swarbrick on LBC.

“It’s clear that children are particularly susceptible to terrorism content. Children who are particularly unhappy – a round peg in a square hole – they’re looking for meaning in their lives and for some, that could be an extremist identity.

“By lowering the age of the user from 16 to 13 for WhatsApp, effectively they’re exposing three more years within that age group, 13 to 16 to content that they cannot regulate.”

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